Identification Baby Water Moccasin Florida

This venomous juvenile water moccasin also has a wide blocky head and a very obvious neck that is narrower than the head.

Identification baby water moccasin florida. This brighter color is a handy feature used by newborns to attract prey. There are three subspecies within this species. Their heads are also much larger than the normal water snake and they have a diamond like shape that almost seems like a large block. Young cottonmouths are marked with broad splotched bands that fade with age and have tails tipped with mustard yellow.

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. They are known for their thick bodies and shorter tails compared to the slender water snake. There is also the western cottonmouth which is found in the states surrounding and. The snakes are thick and dark colored with a heavy body with the neck smaller than the body and with the tail tip long and thin.

Another distinguishing feature of young water moccasins is their bright yellow tail tip. The water moccasin has a brownish color but this will also go darker as they age more. The water moccasin habitats aremostly near the freshwater habitats like rivers wetlands which have heavy vegetation cypress swamps and floodplains. They can sometimes be seen around a drying pool to catch fish or amphibians.

Juvenile cottonmouths are a brown or tan color with darker reddish brown crossbands containing many speckles down the back. Their territory stretches from texas to the eastern seaboard and from the florida keys to the middle of missouri. Sometimes these snakes dwell far from the wetlands. Juveniles also have bright yellow tail tips.

These include florida cottonmouth which is found in florida and parts of georgia. Older individuals may be nearly solid black. Florida snake identification key cottonmouth florida cottonmouth moccasin water moccasin. Juveniles may be misidentified as copperheads which are only found in florida in a small area of the panhandle.

The water moccasin or cottonmouth is a venomous pit viper snake species found in southeastern parts of the united states. This photo was sent to us by an extension client who needlessly killed the snake and asked that we confirm that it was a venomous species. While it is not. 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.

A venomous snake the cottonmouth is often confused with non venomous northern water snakes. This snake is mostly observed in florida. Cottonmouths also called water moccasins are native to the southeastern united states.