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Natural Heritage
• Snakes & Such of the Ozarks |
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| Snakes & Such Index • Cottonmouth Natural Heritage Index • Fishing • Hunting • Camping • Conservation • Hills & Hollows • Rivers & Lakes • Springs • Caves • Rocks & Fossils • Trees & Shrubs • Plants & Herbs • Hill Critters • Flyin' Critters • Water Critters • Snakes & Such • Forgotten Critters |
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This snake species, alongside the rattlesnake and copperhead, is one of the most well-known venomous animals of the Ozark hills.
Although snakes in general have a bad rap, it's also become popular to portray the cottonmouth as benign, thus downplaying its danger.
Longtime residents of these hills tell a different story (see story below).
The agistrodon piscivorus is defined as a semi-aquatic viper.
— the editor
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Cottonmouth water moccasins are very aggressive.
They are extremely territorial — particularly so if they have young.
If you invade their territory when they have young, you will be attacked. But for the most part, cottonmouths are very reclusive.
Cottonmouths are the only water snake that will float on top of the water. That is one of their identifying marks as is their dark chocolate pattern. They get their name because the inside of their mouth looks like white, sticky cotton.
Cottonmouth water moccasins like to live in brush piles near secluded areas of lakes and rivers. They like it back off in the loneliest of coves.
Cottonmouths do not live in the water but their spend a lot of time in the water — and they have been known to attack boats.
If you get in the region of a mama who has young, she can attack boats. She's mean and nasty. I have had them get in the boat with me at night. At that point, you get out of the boat, you get the snake out of the boat, or you kill the snake.
That was on Table Rock Lake.
You could take the light and shine it and see little red eyes all around. Her babies were coming too. It was creepy. I don't go up in the little coves anymore.
They are the most aggressive, venomous snake that we have in the Ozarks.
A copperhead will try to sneak up and bite you during the right time of year but for the most part, they will flee.
But a mama water moccasin will hunt you down.
— Dale Grubaugh
All photo credits: Tammie Evans, Rogers, Arkansas. 09/03/08
Above and below, a cottonmouth water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma), approximately 3.5 feet in length, ingests a northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon) following a flood of the War Eagle River.
March 14, 2009