Occasionally, individuals may exceed 180 centimeters (71 inches) in length, especially in the eastern part of the range. [21], This species may be active during the day, as well as at night. There are three subspecies of cottonmouth snakes: western, eastern and Florida cottonmouths. [13], Constant persecution of the species and drainage of wetland habitat prior to development has taken a heavy toll on local populations. Two species of the genus Agkistrodon occur in the United States, the cottonmouth and the copperhead (A. contortrix). The dorsal banding pattern fades with age, so older individuals are an almost uniform olive brown, grayish-brown or black. The snake even enters the sea. In A. piscivorus, the loop is raised laterally, with the belly facing towards the attacker. [9], Campbell and Lamar (2004) mentioned this species as being found in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Central and Eastern Nebraska, Southern New Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. Water Moccasins and cottonmouths share one common thing: they’re the same snake. [9], The broad head is distinct from the neck, and the snout is blunt in profile with the rim of the top of the head extending forwards slightly further than the mouth. [7], This species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (v3.1, 2001). [18] Many of its common names, including "cottonmouth" and "gapper", refer to this behavior, while its habit of snapping its jaws shut when anything touches its mouth has earned it the name "trap-jaw" in some areas. It has successfully colonized islands off both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It has been much more successful at colonizing Atlantic and Gulf coast barrier islands than the copperhead, A. contortrix. He suggested this might have something to do with hibernating habits. Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper, found in the southeastern United States. Many of the latter may be divided. Cottonmouths catch their food by striking, biting, and releasing venom into the prey. Occasionally, individuals may exceed 180 cm (71 in) in length, especially in the eastern part of the range. $('.navbar').addClass('navbar-fixed-top'); [9] Catfish are often eaten, although the sharp spines sometimes cause injuries. However, even on these islands, it tends to favor freshwater marshes. [3] This is the world's only semiaquatic viper, usually found in or near water, particularly in slow-moving and shallow lakes, streams, and marshes. Subadult specimens may exhibit the same kind of dark, parietal spots characteristic of A. contortrix, but sometimes these are still visible in adults. Water Moccasin vs. Cottonmouth. Niell (1947, 1948) made observations in Georgia and noted they were one of the last species to seek shelter, often being found active until the first heavy frosts. Cottonmouths can be found during the day or night, but forage primarily after dark during the hotter parts of the season. }); Willson unless otherwise noted . These crossbands are visibly lighter in the center, almost matching the ground color, often contain irregular dark markings, and extend well down onto the ventral scales. [9], Raymond Ditmars (1912) described this species as "omnicarnivorous". Accessed 7 December 2007. General Information - Though they can be found in fields, water moccasins usually reside in, along or near bodies of water. if ($(window).scrollTop() >= origOffsetY) { $(document).ready(function () { Water Moccasin. [9] Also called body-bridging, this is a specific defensive behavior against ophiophagous snakes, first observed in certain rattlesnake (Crotalus) species by Klauber (1927), that involves raising a section of the middle of the body above the ground to varying heights. [7], Fish are captured by cornering them in shallow water, usually against the bank or under logs. Males also fight each other; the winner of those battles has the right to mate with the female they were competing over. When prey was introduced, the snake quickly became attentive and made an attack. Older adults are often dark and solid-colored whereas the juveniles are brightly patterned with a sulphur yellow tail tip that they wiggle to attract prey. Water Moccasin. The water moccasin has a distinctively triangular and blocky head. If weather conditions are favorable and food is readily available, growth is rapid and females may reproduce at less than three years of age and a total length of as little as 60 cm. It is accurate to say the cottonmouth “sees” a heat image of its prey, and it can strike in darkness if the prey is even slightly warmer than its background. At this point, they moved to higher ground and could be found in rotting pine stumps by tearing away the bark. Many people think of them as being ferocious animals. [9] In various locations, the species is well-adapted to less moist environments, such as palmetto thickets, pine-palmetto forest, pine woods in East Texas, pine flatwoods in Florida, eastern deciduous dune forest, dune and beach areas, riparian forest and prairies. Occasionally, individuals may exceed 180 centimeters (71 inches) in length, especially in the eastern part of the range. Water moccasins are relatively large, often ranging from 2 to 4 feet (61 to 122 centimeters) long, according to the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.
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