Its broad triangular head is reddish-brown. There are heat sensitive pits between each eye and nostril.
Young snakes are a pale color with a yellow tail tip.
The young are 8 to 9 inches long and mature in 2 to 3 years. Adult females usually give birth every two years. This reptile lives in dry wooded hillsides, especially well-forested areas dominated by pac and hickory trees, with rocky outcrops above streams or ponds. In zoos, they are fed rodents, lizards, and frogs.