Venom Week! Western Cottonmouth!

This species of snake has a cute sounding name "cotton mouth", like this snake has a mouth full of fluffy white cotton balls. We all know how much that sucks though, think of dentist appointments. Yuck. The reasoning for this snake's name is that in the inside of it's mouth is white, like cotton. This snake has fangs, and it is VERY VENOMOUS!!

I have read all the Lonesome Dove books, and to be honest I almost didn't make it through the movie when the poor Irish boy gets bitten a hundred times by Cottonmouths when crossing the river. It still gives me creeps. So that leads me to their other common name Water Moccasin. Many people in the field of snakes do not like that name, they say it is inappropriate. But I guarantee that if I'm in a creek and I scream "Water Moccasin!" Everybody will know what I'm saying.

These snakes are dark in color heavy bodied and can swim and climb trees. They mostly live on frogs and fish, but will also eat mice, birds, lizards, and anything else they can fit into their mouth.

When swimming, the cottonmouth holds its head above water with most of its body barely touching the surface. Cottonmouths are nocturnal, most active at night. The young wiggle their tails so that the tip appears to be a small worm. When small frogs and lizards see the wriggling tail, they think it's something to eat and rush forward to eat it, only to be eaten by the baby cottonmouth. Cottonmouths eat other snakes, including their own kind. The only time more than one cottonmouth would be in the same place at the same time is: 1) mating season, 2) female giving birth, or 3) one cottonmouth is eating another.

Also called "water moccasin," cottonmouths CAN bite underwater, but their prey is fish. If they could not bite underwater, they would starve. Cottonmouths avoid contact with humans or any other possible predator. (All those stories about swarming cottonmouths attacking people are myths!) But like any animal, when threatened, cottonmouths will attack to protect themselves. In some places, especially around woodland ponds, you can find western cottonmouths every few yards. Sometimes, you can smell their musky odor in the air. Heat sensors on either side of the snake's face detect heat and help the cottonmouth to find food.

Western cottonmouths prefer lowland swamps, lakes, rivers, sloughs, irrigation ditches, rice fields and salt marshes, but are not confined to living in moist habitats.

Throughout the United States, less than 1% of all deaths by snakebite have been caused by cottonmouths. While the odds make it seem unlikely to die from a cottonmouth bite, nonetheless, their venom can still cause severe bleeding and considerable damage to tissue. DO NOT TOUCH and if bitten, seek immediate medical attention!

I think these snakes are fighting for a female. What do you think?



This video has music! It shows the Cotton Mouth displaying a common defense behavior. When startled they will coil up and display the inside of it's mouth.