How to Identify a Cottonmouth Snake

The cottonmouth snake, often called a water moccasin, is a large venomous snake found in the southeastern United States. An adult cottonmouth can reach lengths of up to six feet or more, but lengths of 48 inches is far more common. These are some of the largest venomous snakes in the United States and are considered semi-aquatic. While they can be found in almost any area of the southeast, they primarily reside around bodies of waters such as ponds, streams, lakes and rivers. The food supply here is plentiful and when threatened they will retreat into the safety of the water.

The cottonmouth is often confused with other non-venomous water snakes. For this reason, many harmless water snakes are killed each year by persons believing they are killing cottonmouths. Younger snakes will have triangular markings but these will fade as the snake matures. Adult snakes will be almost totally black with fat wide bodies. Their heads will be triangular in shape and their eyes elliptical. When threatened the cottonmouth will tightly coil its body and fully open its mouth. This displays its fangs and the bright white lining of the mouth, thus its name, the cottonmouth.

Many people believe the cottonmouth to be a very aggressive snake, even attacking humans who stray into its territory. In most cases this is not true as the cottonmouth will retreat and avoid any direct contact with humans. On occasion the cottonmouth will stand its ground and this behavior may appear to some as aggressive.

The cottonmouth will feed on fish, small turtles, rodents, salamanders, frogs, birds and even baby alligators. The cottonmouth strikes at a source of heat and is very accurate. With smaller prey the cottonmouth will strike and hold its prey until the venom can take effect and allow the prey to be consumed. If the prey is slightly larger and may be a threat to bite or claw back before the venom renders it incapable, the cottonmouth will release it and allow it to flee. The cottonmouth will then track the prey by smell. When it locates the fallen animal it will check to be certain it is dead by touching it with its tongue. The cottonmouth feeds slowly, taking its time. This is different from other snakes which eat rapidly, perhaps because their prey is often still alive when it is consumed.

Like other venomous snakes the cottonmouth can control how much venom it injects into its prey. It can bite without injecting any venom at all, which is why each snake bite victim will have a different reaction to the bite. The individual reaction will depend on the person's sensitivity to the venom, and how much venom is injected. In most cases, only the very young or persons with other serious health conditions are at risk of the bite being fatal. While fatal bites are very rare, any bite from a cottonmouth should be considered a medical emergency and immediate medical attention should be sought.