Among the most poison snakes in the US, the Cotton Mouth, or Water Moccasin ranks in the top array, but the Cottonmouth is not only poisonous, he is also among the most aggressive and bad tempered of snakes.
The Cottonmouth belongs to the family of pit vipers, and is a very nasty guy to come across, which we relate from personal experience.
The cottonmouth is dark colored, and has a wide flat head, much wider than his neck.
He is dark colored, brown or black, sometimes even olive colored on the top, with banding across the colores.
There is a very distinct facial pit between his eyes and nostrils.
The bite of the Cottonmouth is quite serious and can be fatal. They are far more aggressive than many other poisonous snakes and are not the retiring, run instead of fight snake. When they are annoyed or angry, rather than running, will often times stand their ground or even rush toward an interloper. They will open their mouths and flash the inside, or very light color of their mouths, which is where the term cottonmouth comes from.
The Cottonmouth has curved hollow fangs that swing frontwards and fill with venom as their mouth opens for the strike.
The Cottonmouth, does not, as a rattlesnake does, give a warning of any kind prior to striking.
The female cottonmouth will be old enough to bear young at about three years old and has babies about every other year. She will give birth to live babies, which are between 6 and 12 inches long when they are born.
ranges over Virginia, West Virginia, Oklahoma,Texas and a great many states in between. They will inhabit anywhere that is swampy, ditches, canals, or even mountain streams and creeks.
The cottonmouth will eat frogs, snakes birds or fish.