View Full Version : Might be a good idea to recognize a Cotton Mouth
Wise Old Owl
04-29-2012, 23:47
Deanna & I were on "a nearby" trail that banked a stream. at 68 degrees the snakes were out.... I spotted one in the grass and other people came up to see what I was taking a picture of. One guy offered to pick it up and I said no... you don't have gloves or tools and I haven't identified it yet... In a fraction of a second the snake was gone into the water or the bank, too fast for anyone to react and I thought about it - it was a Cotton Mouth.... I am no expert - but does anyone have a different opinion?
Here is the photo of the second one. This is three feet away. - Folks had walked the trail all day and never saw this one.
15822That's the head. Click on it and it will go full size
Rain Man
04-30-2012, 00:05
... I am no expert - but does anyone have a different opinion?
Yes.
Rain:sunMan
.
Whiskyjo
04-30-2012, 00:59
The eyes are oval so most likely it is one.
Yes.
Rain:sunMan
.
Agree.. that does not look like a pit viper head.
15823 note the triangular head shpe of this cottonmouth, i believe that your snake was a common brown water snake
kidchill
04-30-2012, 06:56
15823 note the triangular head shpe of this cottonmouth, i believe that your snake was a common brown water snake
Would you bet your hand on it?
Gray Blazer
04-30-2012, 07:04
Here's a fat one on the FT.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/2/1/7/travis_v_626.jpg (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showimage.php?i=51062&original=1&c=720)
Would you bet your hand on it?
yes, i would bet my hand on this one
i would not bet my hand on gray blazers post though
Woo = I think your snake was a brown water snake - - the belly isn't at all yellow and there is no distinct border. I imagine that with climate change, cottonmouths might be creeping out of their historic "range" which in the US is mostly swampy areas of Florida, GA, SC, etc. (and I don't know where you were) but it would be most doubtful to see one on the AT. Here is a link that shows the range of the cotton-mouth:
www.srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/agkpis.htm
Trail Bug
04-30-2012, 07:25
Looks like a
Northern water snake.
Unless you want to get bit do not try to pickup a brown water snake. They are mean and will bite at the least provocation.
Looks like a
Northern water snake.
My guess would also be the Northern water snake. What amazes me is the variety of color variation. Look at all the different shades of the snake at this wiki link
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Water_Snake
The article says they are often misidentified as cottonmouths.
Pedaling Fool
04-30-2012, 08:10
Ya'll northerns better watch out, with climate change coming we're going to start releasing our gators on you, it's just getting too warm down here for them:D
:rolleyes:
vamelungeon
04-30-2012, 09:14
A LOT of people see water snakes and call them cottonmouths or water moccasins, but they are pretty difficult to identify. I think I can safely say that you won't normally see a cottonmouth on the AT, but it's best to respect all snakes and especially the ones you can't ID. I like to see them from a distance but I don't bother them and they don't bother me. I've found nature treats me better when I live by that philosophy.
Wise Old Owl
04-30-2012, 11:48
Thanks - guess we need a mod to change the title... I agree no yellow belly and its just outside of it's range....thanks - this was an interest of mine and Its good to learn a little.
Harrison Bergeron
04-30-2012, 15:30
Unless it bit you, who cares? But just for the same of argument, I can tell you it's not a cotton mounth because it doesn't have a faint dimaondback pattern or a triangular head.
You only need to know the kind of snake that bit you (so the doctor will know which anti-venin to give you), and that's pretty easy. If it's there are two holes and it hurts like hell, it was a pit-viper. If it was black, it was a cottonmouth. If it was rattling, it was a rattler. If not either of those, it was a copperhead. If you were in the deep south and it had red, black, and yellow stripes, it was probably a king snake but might have been a coral snake. You'll know which one by the time you make it to the doctor.
100% not a cotton mouth, im a florida boy and have seen plenty. Everytime someone sees a snake near water they assume its a cottonmouth. There are several speciecs of water snakes from the carolinas south. In SC and GA the northern water snake resemble the CM. down in FL the banded water snake is VERY similar. Truth is, the cotton mouth is probably overlooked 100 to 1 because its way more camoflauged than the water snakes and it will stay still when u get close. Water snakes are jumpy, aggressive, and FULL of teeth... several rows as compared to other non-venomos.
gpburdelljr
05-03-2012, 17:39
All the poisonous snakes in the US, with the exception of the coral snake, have eliptical pupils like a cat. If it isn't a coral snake and it has round pupils it isn't poisonous. You may not want to get close enough to see the pupils however.
Wise Old Owl
05-03-2012, 18:54
As you can tell from the foilage - we could not see the eyes as I was behind it... and it was off like a gun when I took the picture..
sterling98
05-03-2012, 19:09
I saw a snake today. Just a harmless black racer. It had a few big chicken eggs in it and was sitting in the coop starting to eat another one. The lumps disappeared when I picked it up with a stick and dropped it in a bucket (splat!).
All the poisonous snakes in the US, with the exception of the coral snake, have eliptical pupils like a cat. If it isn't a coral snake and it has round pupils it isn't poisonous. You may not want to get close enough to see the pupils however.
Almost all of them except the coral have keeled scales too, as do the water snakes.