View Full Version : Snakes swimming advice
English Stu
12-09-2015, 10:10
In the US someone told me that poisonous snakes squiggle/swim from side to side whereas non poisonous swim straighter -either way an increase in crossing speed occurs. Is this snake notion true or was it a leg-pull.
illabelle
12-09-2015, 10:18
Never heard of such a thing. There are four species of poisonous snake in the US, three of those in the same general class known as pit vipers, which includes copperheads, all types of rattlesnakes, and the water moccasin (also called a cottonmouth). The pit vipers tend to be a heavy bodied snake. I could see that body type would affect movement across land and through water, maybe.
Doesn't matter how fast a snake swims, truth is that they just wanna get across the water and avoid us at all costs.
MuddyWaters
12-09-2015, 11:00
Doesn't matter how fast a snake swims, truth is that they just wanna get across the water and avoid us at all costs.
Snakes will swim right up to a canoe and try to climb in.
jcreamer
12-09-2015, 11:02
I don't think that is accurate. Because water moccassins are heavy/wide bodied snakes I could see an argument that they may swim slightly different that a thin longer bodied snake. But truthfully, I'm not going to go check that out for you! As many times as I have been swimming in streams and lakes, I have never had the opportunity to meet a snake in the water. They are ususally traveling and just trying to get to point B. Not looking for a meal in the middle of the water. Probably should worry more about whats underwater that you can't see that the last guy left there (like broken glass and tin cans) moreso than snakes.
JMO.
JC
illabelle
12-09-2015, 11:33
Snakes will swim right up to a canoe and try to climb in.
That would be interesting to see! Even so, they're not climbing in to eat somebody, they're just looking for a ride.
Traveler
12-09-2015, 11:46
Any snake making the move to climb into a boat from the water I have to presume is not thinking its the crosstown bus. Regardless of motive, in my world that situation then flows to its logical conclusions, the smaller more fragile creature is either dissuaded by the larger species more capable of delivering the necessary dissuasion. To administer said dissuasion without sounding like Pee Wee Herman screaming or putting holes in the hull with the paddle, gun, or boot heel is the tricky part.
perdidochas
12-09-2015, 13:23
In the US someone told me that poisonous snakes squiggle/swim from side to side whereas non poisonous swim straighter -either way an increase in crossing speed occurs. Is this snake notion true or was it a leg-pull.
Poisonous snakes swim higher in the water. With a cottonmouth, most of their body is above the surface when swimming. With the common water snakes, they swim lower, with usually only their heads sticking out.
perdidochas
12-09-2015, 13:24
Link for the above:
http://www.livescience.com/43597-facts-about-water-moccasin-cottonmouth-snakes.html
MuddyWaters
12-09-2015, 14:17
That would be interesting to see! Even so, they're not climbing in to eat somebody, they're just looking for a ride.
Not that interesting when your the one paddling and dont know what kind snake it is.
TexasBob
12-09-2015, 16:59
Go to about 18 minutes into the video and you will see a cottonmouth swimming and the guy will describe how they swim differently than other snakes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=314N7xIeRR8
Old Hiker
12-09-2015, 22:48
Sorry to pop the bubble. We Yanks (and Texans) have NO - ZERO - ZILCH - poisonous snakes. Rattlesnake is quite tasty.
Venomous, now................................
Common non venomous water snakes are often mistaken for Copperheads or Cottonmouths and killed unnecessarily. Liked your comparisons of Cottonmouths and common water snakes knowledge you shared Perdi.....
bigcranky
12-09-2015, 23:10
Realistically, only a few dozen AT hikers die from being eaten by poisonous snakes while crossing streams or rivers each year. So the odds are in your favor..... :)
Seriously, don't worry too much about snakes, especially in the water. There won't be any venomous snakes in water along the AT. Rattlesnakes are common on land, but will rattle to warn you, and anyway they are more likely to run away. Just don't pick one up and try to kiss it. (Most rattlesnake bites are on the hands and face; I wish I were making this up.) Copperheads are nastier and won't warn you, but you won't see many. No cottonmouths or coral snakes along the AT, I think.
swjohnsey
12-10-2015, 09:38
Copperheads are very difficult to see and are often sat on, resulting in a bite on the buttocks. This is where you find out who your true friends are when it comes to sucking out the venom.
Poisonous snakes swim higher in the water. With a cottonmouth, most of their body is above the surface when swimming. With the common water snakes, they swim lower, with usually only their heads sticking out.
Venomous snakes are very buoyant. Easy to tell the difference once you've seen both swim.
PAFranklin
12-10-2015, 14:56
I've seen copperheads on the bottom of streams 12" to 18" deep. Also on the bottom on a lake shore about the same depth. Don't ever remember seeing one any deeper. I have seen a copperhead take a sunny at that depth. So they can strike under water. I'd guess their range of strike is less than if coiled on land. I've seen water snakes on the bottom of creeks maybe three feet deep.
swjohnsey
12-10-2015, 17:19
Baby cotton mouths look a lot like copperheads.
as long as its not THIS big then you wont have too many problems:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1y3eHmnrk4
All jokes aside, I don't ever remember seeing any snakes submerged in water. If you see most of their body on top of the water watch out, if you see just their head out of the water its not that big of a deal.
In NC we have plenty of venomous snakes:
Agkistrodon contortrix (copperhead)
A. Piscivorous (cottonmouth or water moccasin)
Crotalus Atrox (diamond back)
and several different types of rattlesnakes (including the above diamond back)
Just dont kill Lampropeltini (King snakes) because they eat other snakes and are immune to the local venomous snakes.
Uncle Joe
12-10-2015, 21:41
The thing to remember is that most American venomous snakes are at least fairly easy to distinguish. There are a lot of water snakes that look like Cottonmouths for good reason, it keeps them safe. Learn what a Cottonmouth and a Copperhead looks like. The rest rattle (Diamondback, Timber, Pygmy, except for the Coral Snake (red and yellow, kill a fella!) The Coral is less of a threat because they have small mouths and fangs. You're generally only going to get bit if you pick them and they have to kind of work their fangs into you.
Here's a link to a video I shot here in GA from my Kayak. Skip to the 6:35 mark and you can see a Black Racer swimming across the lake that I followed.
https://youtu.be/EQmjdOxS-jw