Not a great shot, sticks in the way.
I didn’t think it prudent to go moving leaves and twigs around. They are fine as long as you don’t go poking them.
It is one of the world’s few semiaquatic vipers (along with the Florida cottonmouth), and is native to the southeastern United States. As an adult, it is large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite.
Cottonmouth in a local swamp.
We have them a lot here, and it always makes me nervous 🫣 when I see one. We just watched a video, showing the very clear and distinct differences between this snake and a banded water snake, as they are often confused here, and are wetlands. I think the most significant (and least likely to be visible) is the distinct pattern on the underside of the water snakes, versus the completely solid light underside of the cottonmouth.
It’s easy to confuse those two. Vipers have slits for eyes, but you probably don’t want to look close enough 😂. Around here I assume Cottonmouth until proven wrong. Seems prudent since we too have plenty of them 😂
I have found that most of the people that can’t tell the difference between Watersnakes and Cottonmouths wouldn’t try to grab either anyway! Lol
It’s the Pigmy Rattler that worries me more. It’s the size of a Garter Snake with the attitude of an Anaconda LOL. I was in SC one week and had one strike three times, like lightning. No bite but not for lack of trying 😂😂
I woke up with cottonmouth quite a few times. Wouldn’t want to stumble on one of these. Nice find, Ted.
😁😁, haven’t we all.
Glad you didn’t accidentally step on it.
No way I could, thankfully. There was a wet swamp line here. Not that I haven’t been close in the past. None of the photographers I know have been bitten. I did have a rattler bite my stick once, but that doesn’t count. 😁
Ewww— if there’s one critter I truly don’t like it these creepy sneaky critters. 🫢
For me, first it’s the BIG spiders, then toxic snakes.
Oh yeah, forgot about those guys🥺
Silent screaming 😱 going on here!
😂😂, I’m not sure he even has his eyes open 😁
🫣
That’s a beauty!
Chunky guy too