Cottonmouth Snake Characteristics. The Cottonmouth Moccasin. Appearance.

The exposed white interior of the mouth is what gave rise to the common name, 'cottonmouth.' There are several harmless Florida water snakes that look a bit like cottonmouths in both head shape and coloration. Florida Cottonmouth These snakes are highly venomous and pose a genuine danger to humans. Youngsters who live around the lakes and swamps in Florida and other areas of the deep South have long identified the water moccasin and the cottonmouth moccasin as two distinct snakes; the first one poisonous and the second one deadly poisonous. South Florida's Snakes . Florida has six species of venomous snakes. The Florida Cottonmouth is a close relative of the copperhead, this snake is also known as the water moccasin.When first born, the babies look nothing like the parents. & BLEM, L.B. Find high-quality Cottonmouth Water Moccasin Snake stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Young Cottonmouth snakes have clear markings on their back which looks like thick dark bands. Of Florida's 46 native species of snakes, 34 are found in the South Florida region shown in dark green on this map, including four of the six venomous species--Timber Rattlesnakes and Copperheads are only found in North Florida.Three non-native species are also found in South Florida. The Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon Piscivorus) at the northern edge of its range Journal of Herpetology 29(3) pp. Although they may exceed five feet in length, most adult cottonmouths observed in Florida are about three feet long. A Cottonmouth snake has three different types of species. Young cottonmouth snakes have striking patterns that fade with age. 391-398 (1995) 3. Blem, C.R. Scientific name: Agkistrodon piscivorus (LACÉPÈDE 1789) The following will separate the two Cottonmouths found in Florida.If you are unable to distinguish between them based on the characteristics in the key below, you probably can do so using the geographic location alone. Here is what they look like, where they are typical found in the state, and how to identify them when you're outdoors. The Cottonmouth snake derives its name from the white lining inside its mouth. Adults are dark-colored and may have a faint crossband pattern or be a uniform black. When threatened, the cottonmouth may respond by coiling its body and opening its mouth as though ready to bite. Other Florida Snakes includes the Florida cottonmouth, Western cottonmouth and the Eastern cottonmouth. They have a wavy banded pattern in bright orange and brown, with a sulphur-yellow tail tip. This open mouth threat display has led to the widespread belief that cottonmouths are aggressive snakes (Florida Museum of Natural History, 2018). Different species of snake can often be distinguished by their characteristic color patterns. The eastern diamondback rattler has the most lethal bite. Himes, J.G. There are three subspecies (races): A. piscivorus conanti Gloyd, 1969, the Florida Cottonmouth; A. piscivorus piscivorus (Lacepède, 1789), the Eastern Cottonmouth; and A. piscivorus leucostoma (Troost, 1836), the Western Cottonmouth. This species prefers the margins of lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Their colors can be anything from black to dark green to brown with white bordering the eyes. Cousins to copperhead snakes, cottonmouth snakes belong to the Crotalidae – Pit viper Snakes family. That is a defense mechanism for them. Their territory stretches from Texas to the Eastern Seaboard, and from the Florida Keys to the middle of Missouri. Color of a cottonmouth snake can vary. Some are single uniform colors. Cottonmouth habitat and behavior: Cottonmouths are semi-aquatic snakes, meaning they spend the majority of their lives in the water.

& Conant, R. Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review (1990) 2. Florida Snake Identification Key Cottonmouth, Florida Cottonmouth, Moccasin, Water Moccasin. The cottonmouth is the most aquatic of Florida's venomous snakes and occurs throughout the state (Figure 2). living in and near small and large bodies of water.

Download premium images you can't get anywhere else. VENOMOUS. A Cottonmouth snake is the only snake that is aquatic by nature and grows as long as 180 cm. They have been known to get as long as six feet, but usually average two to three feet in length. It also has white stripes behind its eyes.