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Western Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma
36.9727, -90.1987
Field Notes
Description:
Cottonmouths are venomous semi-aquatic snakes often referred to as “water moccasins.” They have large, triangular heads with a dark line through the eye, elliptical pupils, and large jowls due to the venom glands. They are large – typically 24 - 48 in (61 - 122 cm), occassionally larger, keeled-scaled, heavy-bodied snakes. Their coloration is highly variable: they can be beautifully marked with dark crossbands on a brown and yellow ground color or completely brown or black. Older adults are often dark and solid-colored whereas the juveniles are brightly patterned with a sulphur yellow tail tip that they wiggle to attract prey. The belly typically has dark and brownish-yellow blotches with the underside of the tail being black. As pit-vipers they have facial pits that sense heat and are used to detect prey and predators. Male cottonmouths are larger than females. (SREL)
Habitat:
This one was spotted in a marshy, swamp habitat in the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Typically, Cottonmouths can be found in nearly all freshwater habitats but are most common in cypress swamps, river floodplains, and heavily-vegetated wetlands. Cottonmouths will venture overland and are sometimes found far from permanent water. Cottonmouths often congregate around drying pools in wetlands to feed on trapped fish and amphibians.
Notes:
Often, any dark-colored snake found in or near an aquatic habitat is deemed a cottonmouth and sometimes killed. The Cottonmouth has a very limited range in Missouri. Most aquatic snakes seen or killed out of fear are in fact nonvenomous water snakes.
The Tennessee Herpetological Society produced this brochure which describes some of the differences between cottonmouths and nonvenomous watersnakes: http://www.tnherpsociety.org/Cottonmouth%20Brochure.pdf
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