Cottonmouth

Agkistrodon piscivorus

The Cottonmouth, also known as the Water Moccasin, is a semi-aquatic snake. It has a thick body and can often be seen swimming in water.

Habitat: Swamps, rivers, and wetlands.

Appearance

The Cottonmouth is a stout, heavy-bodied snake, typically dark olive, brown, or black, often with faded crossbands. It has a distinctive triangular head with keeled scales and a light-colored, upward-sloping snout.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassSquamataOrderSerpentesFamilyViperidaeGenusAgkistrodon

Cottonmouth

Interesting facts

Baby cottonmouths have a bright yellow tail tip which they wiggle to lure unsuspecting prey!

Cottonmouths can play dead by staying perfectly still when they feel threatened!

They are also known as 'water moccasins' because they often live near water.

This snake is the only venomous water snake found in North America!

Special abilities

Cottonmouth can detect warm-blooded prey using heat-sensing pits on its face, which helps them hunt in darkness.

Cottonmouth can hunt fish and frogs in water because it is semi-aquatic and a strong swimmer.

Cottonmouth has a bright white mouth interior that it flashes open as a warning, startling predators.

Cottonmouth has powerful venom that helps them quickly subdue their prey and defend against threats.

Measurements & details

Length: 75-120 cm
Weight: 0.2-1.5 kg
Lifespan: 10-20 years
Top Speed: 3 km/h
Swim Speed: 5 km/h
Clutch Size: 5-15
Maximum Depth: 3 m

Diet & Feeding

Eats fish, frogs, and small animals found in or near the water.

Age differences: Young cottonmouths primarily eat insects and small invertebrates, shifting to vertebrates as they grow.

Primary Foods

Fish
Frogs
Rodents
Lizards
Other snakes
Young birds

Foraging Method

Ambush

Ecological connections

hunts

Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Eats these large frogs found near water.

hunts

Largemouth Bass

Micropterus salmoides

Preys on smaller or sick fish in aquatic habitats.

eaten by

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Adult alligators are known predators of cottonmouths.

hunts

Hispid Cotton Rat

Sigmodon hispidus

Captures these rodents near water sources.

Traits

Piscivorous

Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.

Thermoregulating

Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment.

Ambush Predator

An ambush predator hunts by patiently waiting and concealing itself, then launching a sudden attack when unsuspecting prey comes within range.

Ancient Lineage

This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.