Cottonmouth and Water Moccasin Snakes

The cottonmouth snake, also known as the water moccasin, shows drastic changes in appearance from birth to adulthood.

But one constant is the white, cotton-like interior of their mouth, which gives the species its name.

Juveniles

Newly born cottonmouths exhibit vibrant yellow-brown bands and measure up to 33 cm in total length. An electric yellow tail tip mimics caterpillars, luring fish and frogs within striking range.

Juvenile patterning camouflages smaller cottonmouths in shoreline debris. As tail tips fade from yellow to black, banding disappears into scale-covered skin.

Adults

Once cottonmouths reach maturity after 2-3 years, thick black or brown skin replaces thin juvenile patterning. Adults develop stocky bodies over 61 cm long, with dark pigment obscuring any trace of bands.

Their ominous coloration mimics rotting swamp vegetation, blending into southeastern wetlands. Difficult to spot, adult cottonmouths surprise prey with sudden attacks.

Size

Adult cottonmouths average 4-5 feet (122-152 cm) in length, with females growing larger than males. Newborns measure 8-13 inches (20-33 cm) and rapid growth occurs in the first year.

Cottonmouths tend to get confused with harmless snakes a lot here in Virginia. Are you unsure if you have a Cottonmouth on your property? Follow this guide, so you won’t get confused!

Just like their cousins the copperhead, cottonmouths have hourglass bands on their backs. This means that the patterns will get thinner near their spine, and wider on the sides leading to the belly.

It is important to note, that the older a cottonmouth is the more solid the coloration they get. That means that the pattern will get harder if not impossible to see the older the snake is. However, with juveniles, they have a sulfur color on the tip of their tail.

If you see a snake with a sulfur color on the tip of their tail avoid it! It could either be a Copperhead or a Water Moccasin.

What sets Cottonmouths apart from Copperheads is their darker color. Cottonmouths tend to be a dark green/Olive color to almost black coloration. Their bands also tend to be dark brown or black as well.

But the easiest way to identify is the color of the inside of their mouths. Cottonmouths, have a white cotton color to the inside of their mouths, as their name states. Cottonmouths will show their mouths when threatened. So if any snake displays this behavior and has a white mouth stay away!

Here in Virginia, head shape can help distinguish cottonmouths from nonvenomous lookalikes. Cottonmouths have wide, triangular-shaped heads with distinctive jowls housing their venom glands. This triangular head is a key indicator of venom, unlike rounded heads of harmless water snakes.

However, when threatened, cottonmouths may flatten their necks to appear even more triangular. And some nonvenomous snakes like hognose snakes flatten their heads to imitate the triangular shape as self-defense.

So while head shape can aid identification, look for other markings and behavior clues to conclusively identify cottonmouths in Virginia.

The cottonmouth exhibits behaviors allowing it to thrive across its southeastern wetland habitats in Virginia. Crepuscular by nature, its activity peaks during dim hours of dawn and dusk. An opportunistic feeder, it employs patience and persistence to consume prey both in water and on land.

While generally calm, the cottonmouth turns aggressive when threatened, flattening its neck and showing the white interior of its mouth as warnings. Despite its bite being potentially deadly, the cottonmouth is not inherently aggressive toward humans.

Cottonmouths can hunt day or night, but peak activity occurs in the dimmer hours around sunrise and sunset. They bask in sunny areas midday.

During hot summer months, they become more nocturnal to avoid overheating while foraging.

As temperatures cool, they readily venture out during daylight. Cottonmouths mate in early summer, fight over females, then brumate over winter before re-emerging in spring.

When approached by threats, cottonmouths often stand their ground.

They may flatten their neck into a triangular shape, coil up, vibrate their tail, release a foul-smelling musk, hiss loudly, and open their mouth wide to display the white interior as warnings before striking.

This elaborate sequence of defensive postures makes the snake seem bigger and more dangerous to ward off predators.

Cottonmouths use biting as a last resort for defense.

Bites often occur when humans accidentally touch or attempt to handle them. The venom can be deadly without proper medical treatment.

In Virginia, cottonmouth bites most often occur near freshwater in summer when human recreation increases. Prompt hospital treatment minimizes health risks if bitten.

Cottonmouths are strong swimmers and climb well when young, allowing exploitation of both aquatic and arboreal habitats early in life.

As heavy-bodied adults, they tend to stay terrestrially near cypress swamps, marshy waters, and damp woodlands.

During droughts, they gather together around shrinking water pools to find trapped prey. They may share winter hibernation burrows with other snake species when sheltering underground.

Cottonmouth and Water Moccasin Range

Cottonmouths can be found in Southeastern Virginia. Cottonmouth Snakes as a whole can be found across the Southern United States.

They can be found from East Texas to Southeastern Virginia. There are two species of cottonmouth which are found in the south.

The Northern Cottonmouth and the Florida Cottonmouth as it name states is found in Florida.

Habitat

Cottonmouths or Water Moccasins are known as opportunistic feeders. This means that if they see an opportunity to catch and eat prey, they will not hesitate to strike. They do not care about what the prey is, as long as it doesn’t give them too much trouble.

Cottonmouths eat both land and water animals including amphibians, lizards, snakes (this includes other cottonmouths), turtles, baby alligators, birds, and mammals, but their favorite to eat is fish.

Reproduction

Cottonmouth Snakes mate from April – May. Cottonmouths have a ritual where the males wave their tails and move around like a dance to lure potential mates. Fights between males are common during the mating dance.

Eggs and Young

Venom Effects of Water Mocassin

Cottonmouth venom rarely leads to death however you must go to the hospital immediately if bit. A Cottonmouth bite can lead to an allergic reaction and infection, which will lead to death or amputation.

Cottonmouth venom will lead to these symptoms:

• Rapid redness/Swelling around the bite
• Extreme Debilitating Pain
• Increased Heart rate
• Getting hard to breathe
• Numbness or tingling around the mouth, tongue, scalp, feet, or the bite area.
• Increase of Salivation and Perspiration
• Numbness of limbs and face
• Having signs of Shock
  • Passing out (losing consciousness).
  • Feeling very dizzy or lightheaded, like you may pass out.
  • Slow thinking and not being alert. You may be confused, restless, fearful, or unable to respond to questions.
  • Feeling weak or having trouble standing

If You Have Been Bitten by a Cottonmouth Snake