Cottonmouth

Agkistrodon piscivorus

VenomousFound in Floridareptiles

4 Dangerous danger 4 out of 5

Cottonmouth — Photo by CDC/ Edward J. Wozniak D.V.M., Ph.D., John Willson at the University of Georgia, at the Savannah River Ecology Laborator (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons

Photo by CDC/ Edward J. Wozniak D.V.M., Ph.D., John Willson at the University of Georgia, at the Savannah River Ecology Laborator (Public domain) via Wikimedia Commons

What you should know

Also called a water moccasin, and it lives in every single Florida county. It opens its mouth to flash a bright white inside as a warning.

Whoa

That open white mouth is not an attack, it is a sign. It is the snake yelling back off before anything happens.

Staying safe around it

This one is venomous, which means it can put venom into you with a bite or a sting. Never touch it, and never try to move it yourself.

Always ask a grown-up before you touch any animal or plant. If something bites or stings you, tell an adult right away.

Source: Florida FWC

Read more about the cottonmouth at Wikipedia.

Back to all animals and plants