water moccasin

water moccasin, (Agkistrodon piscivorus), species of large-bodied semiaquatic venomous snake inhabiting moist forests, wetlands, and intertidal habitats of the southeastern United States. The water moccasin is classified with rattlesnakes, copperheads, and other pit vipers in the subfamily Crotalinae. The snake’s colloquial name cottonmouth is taken from the coloration of the inside of its mouth, which is bright white. When handled or provoked, water moccasins can strike out and bite people. Although they are connected with hundreds of snakebites each year, rarely have these bites resulted in the death of the human victim.

Taxonomy and distribution

The water moccasin is formally divided into three subspecies: the northern, or eastern, cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus), the western cottonmouth (A. piscivorus leucostoma), and the Florida cottonmouth (A. piscivorus conanti). However, a 2015 study examining the genetics and morphology of snakes in the genus Agkistrodon noted the distinctiveness of the Florida cottonmouth and recommended that it be classified separately as the species A. conanti while also merging the other two subspecies into A. piscivorus. Although several taxonomies have recognized this realignment, it remains a matter of debate among herpetologists.

The geographic range of A. piscivorus stretches from central Texas north to southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, and the western fringes of the Ohio River valley. The species also occurs in wet areas of the coastal plains of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and southeastern Virginia. In contrast, A. conanti can be found from southeastern Alabama and southern Georgia to southern Florida. A hybrid zone where both groups interbreed extends from the Florida panhandle northeastward through eastern Alabama and central Georgia.

Natural history

Water moccasins are medium-sized snakes that can reach a length of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) and a weight of roughly 1.7 kg (3.8 pounds) when fully grown. Males are longer and heavier than females (see sexual dimorphism). The largest individuals can grow to 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) in length and weigh up to 4.6 kg (10.1 pounds). The water moccasin has a broad, triangular head, and its coloration ranges from fully black to tan, brown, and gray overlain with irregular dark brown or black banding. The color of the snake’s underside ranges from white to tan. Juveniles are lighter colored than adults, with higher color contrast between their base color and the banding. In addition, juveniles sport a yellow-tipped tail, which grows darker with age.

In general, adult water moccasins remain close to water, where they consume a wide variety of vertebrates, ranging in size from tadpoles and small frogs and fishes to young alligators. Some individuals also feed on decaying carcasses, and, wildlife officials note, some engage in cannibalism. The diet of young water moccasins is made up largely of insects. Water moccasins usually bask in the sun during the day and hunt at night. They strike out and bite their prey, using their fangs to inject venom into their victims. Adult water moccasins are preyed upon by raccoons, birds of prey, larger snakes, alligators, and domestic dogs and cats; young may be taken by water birds, snapping turtles, and largemouth bass.

Water moccasins are dangerous, being capable of delivering a fatal bite, and thus they should be avoided. Their venom is a hemotoxin, which inhibits clotting and breaks down tissues. Still, of the 5,000 to 10,000 snake envenomations that take place in the United States each year, only a small number (between 10 and 15 percent) are attributed to water moccasins. When agitated, the water moccasin reveals the white inside of its mouth to its perceived attacker, shakes its tail, and emits a foul-smelling chemical odor from the base of the tail.

The water moccasin is thought to be monogamous, which means that during the breeding season a male will mate with only one female. The female is ovoviviparous (that is, eggs are retained within the female’s body until they hatch, and she gives birth to live young). The species breeds during the months of April and May, and young are born during the months of August and September. Females typically give birth to 8 young, but some litters contain up to 16. According to many sources, adults provide no parental care, and young go off on their own immediately. Both males and females reach sexual maturity at age 3, and individuals can live as long as 24.5 years both in the wild and in captivity.

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Conservation status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) considers the water moccasin to be a species of least concern. The snake’s large geographic range, within which it is considered common, is strong evidence that its population is relatively stable. The species is hunted and has been removed from some parts of its range, and some localized populations have declined due to habitat loss. Still, so far, these pressures have not worried wildlife officials.