![]() ![]() They can be found basking in the sun during the day on rocks, logs and stumps. These water snakes can be seen year-round during the day and at night, but they primarily hunt after dark, especially in the summer. They may also make themselves stink to deter predators by spraying a foul-smelling musk from glands in the base of their tail, and can quickly vibrate the tip of the tail to produce a buzzing sound, a bit like rattlesnakes. When they feel threatened, they coil their bodies and open their mouths wide to show to wide coloration inside their mouths. In fact, they’re much more likely to try to escape if encountered rather than attack. However, in reality unless provoked, they will not harm humans. Their venom is stronger and they tend to be larger snakes, making them very dangerous. Unlike their Copperhead cousins, they will often stand their ground. BehaviorĬottonmouth snakes are widely thought to be extremely dangerous. Young cottonmouth snakes have a yellowish or greenish tail tip which is wriggled to lure prey, such as frogs and lizards, within striking distance. However, with larger animals, they are more cautious about approaching them. For smaller animals, they can kill with a single, venomous bite, then wrap around their prey until it stops moving before swallowing their food whole. They catch fish by cornering them in shallow water, usually against the bank or under logs. They have even been known to be cannibalistic, but the bulk of their diet consists of fish and frogs. They are opportunistic generalists that feed on a wide range of prey, and will eat baby alligators and small mammals. These snakes have a diet that consists mainly of fish, frogs, salamanders, lizards, birds, rodents, and other snakes. ![]() Cottonmouths are often confused with nonvenomous water snake species from the genus Nerodia. The eyes are vertical, similar to cat pupils, and are camouflaged by a broad, dark, facial stripe. The head is blocky and triangular in shape and is a more or less uniform brown color, with the underside generally whitish, cream, or tan. This tail becomes greenish in subadults, and then black in adults. ![]() Younger cottonmouths are much lighter than adult cottonmouths, and newborns have a sulfur or bright yellow tail tip. Their underside is tan or gray with dark blotches. They may also have dark spots and speckles, although the pattern darkens with age so adults may become uniformly black. These snakes have keeled or ridged scales and are gray, tan or dark olive-brown to almost black with 10–17 dark brown to almost black dark crossbands that may not be visible. Their bodies are thick and muscular, weighing between 201.1g and 579.6g, with males being heavier than females. The cottonmouth snake is a large snake that can measure between 32 and 42 inches in length, making it the largest of the genus Agkistrodon that is belongs to. ![]()
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