Florida Cottonmouth

Agkistrodon conanti

Alternate Name(s):

Water Mocassin

 

Venom Status:

Venomous

 

Characteristics:

This is a heavy bodied, dark colored, coastal plain snake. Lengths of more than 4 feet are rare today but 6 footers were once common.The snake will throw its head back and gape widely if threatened, displaying the cotton color. Head and facial markings sharply defined. Babies brightly banded in tans and russet As the snakes age and grow the bands fade and darken to olive and black, and continue to fade until, except for their whitish face and belly markings, fully adult Florida cottonmouths are almost entirely black. Facial markings include light (whitish) upper and lower labial (lip) scales; a broad, light-edged dark bar from eye to the back of the head; a pair of thin vertical dark lines edging the rostral (nosetip) scale; a pair of dark lines on the chin (each starting at the mental (chin) scale. There are 25 scale rows.Neonates have a yellow tailtip. Note the vertical pupils and infrared sensing pit between, but lower than, the nostril and eye and dark coloration.

 

Unique Features:

Cottonmouths of all 3 subspecies often bask or forage well back from the water, to which they will usually attempt to return if startled. Their escape route may bring them directly toward the startling object—human included. They may also bask or seek road-killed animals as a food source on roadways, paved or unpaved. The name “cottonmouth” is derived from the cottony white color of the mouth interior.

 

Habitat and Diet:

Also known as the “water moccasin,” brush tangles on the banks of ponds, sloughs, lake edges and other such aquatic habitats are home to this semi aquatic snake. Primarily feeds on fish, amphibians, small mammals, small birds; roadkills

 

Geographic Range:

FL, AL, GA