Cotton Mouth / Water Moccasin - Agkistrodon piscivorus
Welcome to Nature Weekend, today our trip into venom takes us to the swamps of our southern states. We are going to take a look a snake that gets to 2 to 6 ft long. This snake lives in marshes, swamps, river and lakes. It is a nocturnal hunter but often can be seen basking in day light. It can be distinguished from other water snakes in that this snake swims with it's head held out of the water. Like all pit vipers, they can detect the heat given off by their prey. They will feed on fish, amphibians, aquatic reptiles, birds, and mammals. When threatened, the cotton mouth may very well stand it's ground. No doubt you'll experience the reason for the name Cotton Mouth. This snake displays, the white lining of the mouth as a warning to back off. They will also imitate the rattlesnake by vibrating the tail. This snake should be considered somewhat aggressive. That being said, there are other that often get confused for Cotton-Mouths. Sadly, water snakes often get killed for looking like a venomous snake. There are three species of Cotton Mouth in the United States; Eastern Cotton Mouth ( A. piscivorus piscivorus), Florida ( A. piscivorous conanti ), and the Western ( A. piscivorus leucostoma ). They give birth in late summer. Like many other pit vipers, baby cotton mouths are venomous from day one. So let's say that you get bit, what is this venom going to do to you? Well, it's venom is stronger than a copperhead. Cotton Mouth venom is hemotoxic. Remember that means, that the venom destroys red blood cells. It also destroys other tissues. It reduces the bloods ability to coagulate. The venom can lead to tissue destruction. All I am going to say about the Cotton Mouth.
So venomous snakes, are they bad or good? Venomous snakes are good! It doesn't matter that they don't all eat rodents. What matters is that they fit into an ecosystem. They fill a niche and that makes them important. So if you kill a snake just because it might be venomous that just isn't cool. I've said it before that when you kill an organism it affects the ecosystem. It upsets the delicate balance that exists in an any ecosystem. I've pictures of people proudly displaying the rattlesnake that they've killed and quite frankly it sickens me. I can understand killing an animal if it is about to strike. I don't understand just killing them because they are there. I've lived in NW Indiana all my life and have never seen the famous Eastern Massasuaga.
My experience with snakes doesn't include venomous snakes. Most of my experience has been with garter snakes and dekay's brown snake. There aren't too many venomous snakes. Venomous snakes are wonderful additions to the world's species. I've found that reptiles do indeed have personality. One garter snake may threaten, musk, and bite while another individual may be perfectly docile. I wouldn't want to take the opportunity to find out if this holds true for their venomous cousins. Play it safe and give snakes a chance to run. Don't pick them up without knowing if they are vemonous or not.
There will be more venomous animals coming later!

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