Although it does occur in the dallas and fort worth area it is rarely seen by most. Find out how to tell the difference between a water snake and a water moccasin and what a yellow bellied water snake black water snake blotched water snake and a broad banded water snake look like.
Best To Keep Your Distance From These Texas Snakes With
Older adults are often much darker almost solid black.
Texas water moccasin head. If the body isnt a clear giveaway focus on the texas water. A common habit of these snakes is that they keep holding their head at a 45o angle. As other water snakes swim the body does not float and the head barely breaks the waters surface.
When threatened it will open its mouth to show its fangs. Notice that the head is also thick and blocky. Cottonmouths are generally found in or near lakes rivers ponds and swamps.
While swimming the cottonmouths entire body floats and the head is held out of the water. The difference is most notable when comparing the heads of both snakes. It is a stubby muscular snake and can grow to nearly six feet.
The coloration will show as dull and non reflective. The western cottonmouth agkistrodon piscivorous or water moccasin is one of the venomous snakes residing in north central texas. It can be found in marshes swamps ponds lakes ditches and canals in east and central texas and along the gulf coast.
A full grown water moccasin can be about 4 to 6 feet long. As a pit viper the water moccasin has the distinctive wide jawed wedge shaped head and water snakes do not. Water moccasin snakes neck is narrower than the head.
Water moccasins thrive in the southeastern parts of the us. This also means the snake will not be shiny. Learn which water snakes in texas are poisonous and which varieties are non venomous.
Keeled means that instead of smooth scales there are little ridges that run down the center of each scale. The body of this young venomous water moccasin is very thick for its length and has a relatively short thick tail. Other water snakes quickly retreat.
These snakes have a triangular shaped head which can be seen in the top left picture. Instead most individuals misidentify the harmless water snake as a cottonmouth. Water moccasin agkistrodon piscivorus with its head raised in strike position displaying its trademark white cottonmouth just outside of feral pig trap in dallas texas near trinity river.
The cottonmouth or water moccasin rarely strays far from water. But often get confused with non poisonous water snakes. Texas water moccasin scales will be rough looking and keeled.
Cottonmouth Agkistrodon Piscivorus Species Profile
How To Identify A Water Moccasin All You Need To Know
Cottonmouths And Similar Looking Harmless Species
Cottonmouths And Similar Looking Harmless Species
Wild Ed S Texas Outdoors Texas Snakes On The Crawl
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Venomous Water Moccasin Or Harmless Watersnake