Cottonmouth

Agkistrodon piscivorus

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussion cottonmouths. You can learn more animal facts by subscribing! Thank you to Kayleb parker for requesting these slithery serpents. Cottonmouths have many names, but the most common name besides cottonmouth given to these snakes is “water moccasin.” The name water moccasin is also used for other, non-venomous water-snakes, however, and that has lead to some unnecessary snake killings. Most water snakes will flee from a predator, but cottonmouths tend to stand their ground, at least at first. They get the name cottonmouth from the white lining within their gaping maw, which they’ll put on display to try and scare away a predator - or human who has accidentally stumbled upon one. These defensive displays have lead people to believe that cottonmouths are aggressive snakes, but in a study of their aggression, more than half the snakes tested tried to run when faced with a threat. I mean, I’m not recommending trying to pet one, but there is an antivenom if you ever happen to run into a cottonmouth who doesn’t back down.

There are some ways to tell a non-venomous water snake from a cottonmouth. One sure-fire way is to check their eyes. Cottonmouths have cat-like pupils while a non-venomous water-snake’s pupils are round. If you’re not willing to get close enough to check their pupils, however, you can also tell by the way they swim. Cottonmouths swim with their entire body close to the surface of the water; non-venomous water-snakes usually just have their head poking out. Also, non-venomous snakes spend a lot of time in tree branches overhanging the water - cottonmouths rarely do this. They’re kind of thicc bois, so it’s not exactly the best tactic for them. Females cottonmouths are smaller than males so they sometimes take prey items of different sizes, but they all eat fish, frogs, birds, turtles, and even other cottonmouths. Adult cottonmouths are usually solid colored, but juveniles have banding and a bright yellow tail that they wiggle around to draw in prey.

Cottonmouths are mostly nocturnal, and they live throughout the southeastern United States. They are almost always found near some source of water whether it be a stream, pond, marsh, canal, or even vernal pool where frogs have unwisely gathered. If the weather gets to cold, cottonmouths will brumate in burrows underground. When the weather is warmer, they may mate.

Female cottonmouths reproduce every other year. Males will fight each other for a female’s affections and chase her away once he’s won. Unlike many snakes, cottonmouths produce live young which develop inside the female for about five months. They can have up to twenty babies, but less than ten is more likely. The babies will stay near their mother for their first few days, but they’re pretty much on their own from birth. The smaller the cottonmouth the more likely it is to be eaten by raccoons, birds of prey, gar, otters, snapping turtles, and others. If they can avoid predation, a cottonmouth may live to be more than 20 years old, though exact numbers for their lifespan are unavailable.

A cottonmouth’s scientific name comes from Greek and Latin words that roughly translates to “fish hooks devouring fish”. I dunno about you, but that name seems pretty apt to mean considering the fangs on these guys and the fish in their diet. Also I just like it because we call Chester’s claws “fish hooks” when they get too long, so it reminds me of him!

For more facts on cottonmouths, check out the links in the description. Have you ever seen one of these snakes? Thank you for watching, and give a thumbs up for more Animal Fact Files!