Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Agkistrodon, Species: A. piscivorus
Southeastern United States, ranging from Virginia down through Florida and west to eastern Texas and parts of Oklahoma, predominantly found in lowland areas and near bodies of water.
Look up Cottonmouth in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Viperidae, Subfamily: Crotalinae, Genus: Agkistrodon, Species: A. piscivorus
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, with populations generally stable though locally impacted by habitat loss and persecution.
Physical Description
Heavy-bodied snake featuring dark crossbands or hourglass-shaped markings on a brown or olive background, blocky triangular head distinct from the neck, and keeled scales.
Size & Dimensions
Estimated specimen length is around 30 to 45 inches. Adult typical size ranges from 30 to 48 inches, with exceptionally large individuals exceeding 60 inches.
Habitat
Semi-aquatic environments including streams, rivers, swamps, marshes, lakes, and drainage ditches. Often found basking on logs, rocks, or banks near water.
Diet & Feeding
Diet consists of fish, frogs, small mammals, birds, reptiles, and occasionally other snakes. Uses an ambush hunting strategy.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous, giving live birth to litters typically ranging from 1 to 20 young during late summer or early autumn.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, with populations generally stable though locally impacted by habitat loss and persecution.
Cultural Significance
Important ecological predator in wetland ecosystems, helping to regulate populations of fish and small mammals.
Notable Features
Possesses heat-sensing loreal pits between the eye and nostril used to detect warm-blooded prey, and often displays a gaping behavior revealing a white mouth interior when threatened.