Their territory stretches from Texas to the Eastern Seaboard, and from the Florida Keys to the middle of Missouri. Banding may be difficult to see in adult specimens as the snake’s body becomes dark brown or black as it progresses through adulthood.

This blood loss can happen internally as well as externally and it is imperative that bite victims seek medical attention immediately.

The second warning sign is the rustling of their tails. The snake’s head does appear more squared off at the edges, rather than rounded.

Eastern hognose snakes prefer a drier habitat to the cottonmouth and this fact alone should help you distinguish between the two snakes based on location. Its thick body gives it more buoyancy than thinner snakes, so the cottonmouth’s entire body often barely breaks the water’s surface as it swims.Robert Korpella has been writing professionally since 2000. This is the distinguishing feature to look out for. Tails start out yellow in color, which newborn cottonmouths use as a lure with which to attract prey. Usually a victim is envenomed quickly with a bite and then released. The startling distinguishing feature is the bright red ventral scales that the western mud snake has, and that the cottonmouth definitely doesn’t. When viewed from the top, this snake resembles the cottonmouth due to its dark colors. It does look quite mean, thouh.Another baby cottonmouth basking in some leaves near a pond.Just look how small they can get. Rather than having to deal with unwelcome guests, take some measures to prevent venomous intruders. From the top this snake may resemble a cottonmouth because of its dark coloration. Adults also have a thin, pale white line above the eyes.Most of the time, a cottonmouth will slip away unnoticed when humans approach, often seeking water for escape. However, as a means of appearing larger than they really are, some non-venomous snake species flatten their heads when danger approaches. Unfortunately, some species of snakes can look quite similar to a cottonmouth.

Common water snakes are the most frequent misidentification as they are found in the water and have similar coloring. Cottonmouth Snakes take a wide variety of prey including fish, small mammals, lizards, birds, small turtles, baby alligators and even other snakes. Copyright 2020 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Cottonmouths, also called water moccasins, are native to the southeastern United States. Seek medical attention immediately, even if you assume that it was a dry bite. Look out for these distinguishing cottonmouth features: Mistaken identity is especially common in juvenile snakes as their coloring and patterns are different while they are young.Neonatal cottonmouths are lighter in color, usually tan to brown while fully mature adults are almost black.
Cottonmouths are not typically aggressive and are unlikely to attack unprovoked. All snakes have the ability to swim. However, these snakes like a little bit of variety. All rights reserved. Especially for people who live in regions where the cottonmouth is prevalent. That’s an easy way to tell that this is a dangerous snake.An adult/juvenile cottonmouth displaying their warning sign in which gives them their common name.Here are some more photos of cottonmouths to help you understand what they look like:The habitat of cottonmouths overlaps with many non-venomous water snakes which are often killed due to misidentification.Killing any snake, venomous or otherwise, should be avoided unless absolutely necessary. But cottonmouths don’t just stick to water for their pick of food, they’ll also eat birds and small mammals.

They wiggle their tails to imitate a worm and when an unsuspecting frog comes in for a bite, the cottonmouth will strike.This method of imitation is called ‘caudal luring’ and is central to a juvenile cottonmouth’s survival. The baby cottonmouth pattern is strong and distinctive with around 10 to 15 reddish-brown bands across their back. A venomous snake, the cottonmouth is often confused with non-venomous northern water snakes. If you come across one of these snakes, look out for warning signals that indicate it is preparing to bite. Cottonmouths are ovoviviparous, which means they give birth to live young. However, Graham’s crayfish snakes have a light yellow or tan stripe along their side. He is a certified Master Naturalist, regularly monitors stream water quality and is the editor of freshare.net, a site exploring the Ozarks outdoors. The defense position of this snake, flattening their heads and striking closed-mouthed, is sometimes mistaken for the aggressive defense behavior of the cottonmouth.
As cottonmouths age, the tails turns more greenish, then finally black as the snake becomes an adult. Hopefully, you’re feeling confident about identifying a baby cottonmouth and recognizing the differences with other snakes. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas. Pits help these snakes find rodents and other warm blooded animals on which they feed.Young cottonmouths are tan to brown in color with as many as 10 to 15 darker bands across their backs. This is because both snakes can be spotted in water and have similar coloring and patterns at a quick glance. Pits are visible between the eyes and nostrils, and the pupils in a cottonmouth’s eyes have a cat-like, elliptical shape. The majority of the newly born snakes look precisely like the adults depending on the species; the only difference is the size.

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