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| Cottonmouth - Author's Picture |
I got a poor picture of a venomous northern cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus). I've seen a few too many this year, and I'm always on the lookout for them. I don't think they've ever chased me, but I have had them roll into a defensive position and "gape" at me. The "gape" is where they open their mouths and hope that you go away. The inside of the mouth is very white, thus, "cottonmouth." They're also called water moccasins. Oh, the time that one "gaped" at me, hoping I would run away? It happened when I was a teenager, and I ran away. Seriously, though, I was terrified.
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| Agkistrodon piscivorus |
Technically, a cottonmouth is not "poisonous." The way it works, if you bite it and get sick, it's poisonous. If it bites you and you are envenomated, it is a venomous snake. So, a cottonmouth is a venomous snake. They're dangerous if you mess with one. Source: Meta via Snake Identification.
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| Agkistrodon piscivorus |
Source: Meta via Texas Snake Identification.
