The Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus) also called the Cottonmouth is a venomous pit viper species native to the Southeastern United States. The average adult length is around 3 feet.
Main Characteristics
The Water Moccasin is a
very thick snake. It's head is triangular shaped because of its large venom glands. Colorations are different.
Venom
The Water Moccasin's venom has nearly 50 components. It does contain some deadly hemotoxins though.
Feeding
The Water Moccasin feeds on mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, snakes, small turtles and small alligators
Mimicry
The venomous Water Moccasin is sometimes mimicked for harmless non-venomous water snakes. A way to distinguish them is that the Water Moccasin has a large triangular head because of its large venom glands and water snakes do not.
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Viperidae |
| Subfamily: | Crotalinae |
| Genus: | Agkistrodon |
| Species: | A. piscivorus |