Florida Water Moccasin Swimming

There are many harmless watersnakes genus nerodia that are frequently confused with venomous water moccasins a k a.

Florida water moccasin swimming. The water moccasin snake characteristics water moccasins or cottonmouth snakes are found near bodies of water in the southern part of the united states. The cottonmouth or water moccasin is a dark colored heavy bodied snake that can grow to an average of 2 4 feet in length. Harmless watersnake or venomous water moccasin. The water moccasin will emit scents towards of predators and it will try and slip away unnoticed to the closest water body it can find.

Western florida and. It can be difficult to distinguish cottonmouths from the many nonvenomous water snakes of the region without getting dangerously close to the unknown snake. Four years ago i had the privilege to swim with a very beautiful cottonmouth moccasin agkistrodon piscivorus. Water moccasins may be found swimming in swamps marshes drainage ditches and at the edges of ponds lakes and streams.

Before striking the snake will open its mouth which reveals a distinct white inside and this is where the name cottonmouth comes from. These vipers are deadly and received their name because of the way they present themselves when threatened. Many snakes are misidentified and killed because people think that they are venomous. Like every other individual of this species t.

Juvenile cottonmouths are a brown or tan color with darker reddish brown crossbands containing many speckles down the back. Cottonmouths agkistrodon piscivorus sadly harmless snakes are often killed out of fear for the safety of family and pets. One of these is the venomous cottonmouth also known as the water moccasin. There are three subspecies of water moccasin.

The cottonmouth will hold itself erect opening its mouth. Water moccasins aka cottonmouth is one of the most aggressive snakes in the world. The florida water moccasin the western water moccasin and the eastern water moccasin grow to an adult size from 8 to 48 inches long with a record length of 74 1 2 inches long. Unfortunately they are always around where we live at.

Fortunately by observing a snake s swimming behavior you can distinguish cottonmouths from harmless water.