| The
Water Moccasin
Family:
pit vipers (the Crotalidae)
Can
a water moccasin bite underneath the water? Let's find out!
The
water moccasin is one of four poisonous snakes found in North America.
Equipped with poison fangs, and heat-sensitive pits that identify
warm-blooded prey, the water moccasin - like the rattlesnake, is indeed an agile and effective
hunter.
The
water moccasin makes its home in the swamps and bayous of the Southern
United States, preferring the warmer climates of the south.
The
young are a pale reddish brown; patterns develop over time. The
young are born 'live' (as opposed to egg hatching). As the
snake matures, its color generally revolves to a dark olive, and
sometimes black. When threatened, one may glimpse the cottony
color of the inside of the mouth - thus rendering the nickname, "Cottonmouth".
General
length is 3' to 4' though some have recorded in at over 6' in length.
Being expert climbers, they sometimes venture out onto branches
overhanging waterbeds and just 'chill out'.
A water
moccasin eats both warm and cold-blooded animals and has a reputation
of being quite aggressive in the wild. Moccasins tend to tame
down a bit in captivity.
Trivia:
Can a water
moccasin bite below water?
Oh
yes!
Reference:
over 50 years of personal experience in the Wilds of Texas
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