The Defense of the Eastern Cottonmouth

The Eastern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus) is a relatively common venomous snake found throughout the eastern half of North Carolina. People describe the snake as an evil, highly aggressive snake with no feelings or mercy and they without warning attack unsuspecting hikers. This of course is not true. Cottonmouths generally spend their day basking on stumps, and logs found in or around an aquatic habitat. When disturbed they generally flee or stay put in hopes that the intruder wont see them and so they have no need to waste energy. When cornered or molested, they generally gape their "cotton" mouth wide open to ward off potential predators. They also flatten themselves out to appear larger, and they vibrate their tail. People commonly say they are easy to identify from their habit of swimming with their body's well out of the water, but recent observations has taught me that they will also be just as willing to swim below the waters surface as above. They generally are found in the evening after hot days swimming in search of food. Cottonmouths only will bite if provoked in which cases people say they "attacked". Cottonmouths will do everything in their power to escape, when they gape and vibrate their tails that just means back off. Cottonmouths are wonderful animals and are in need of much respect.

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