The lowland copperhead prefers to live in swampy or marshy areas
where it feeds on frogs, lizards and smaller snakes. It has a
relatively smaller head than the tiger snake. The lowland
copperhead usually has a bright iris and a narrow, somewhat
pointed head which is scarcely distinct from the neck. The
colour ranges from slate grey or black to coppery red-brown
through to deep brick-red on the upper surface. It is usually
yellow-white underneath. Most adult copperheads have a prominent
orange/red to brown streak running along the lower sides of the
body. This has led some people to the mistaken belief that they
have seen a red-bellied black snake, a species which does not
occur in Tasmania. Juvenile copperheads are often paler, being a
reddish-brown colour, sometimes with a grey head and an
indistinct dark band across the nape of the neck. The ventral
scales often have dark margins. Adults reach 1 m to 1.5 m in
length. Lowland copperheads are usually found in open areas with
low vegetation associated with str