Nature's Neighbors ~ Western Cottonmouth

Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma  is the subspecies of Cottonmouth found in the south central United States. It is the smallest of the three subspecies and tends to be darker in color.  It ranges from southern Alabama along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, including many offshore islands, to southeastern and central Texas and north to Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.  This species most well known name is Water Moccasin, but it best to not use it to avoid confusion, as there are also terrestrial moccasin species, such as the Copperhead.

Although they are found into West Texas, Western Cottonmouths are more numerous in the eastern third of the state, preferring lowland swamps, lakes, rivers, sloughs, irrigation ditches, rice fields and salt marshes, but they are not confined to living in moist habitats. Frogs, fish, smaller snakes (including other cottonmouths), small water birds, small mammals, carrion, and sometimes fish on stringers make up the cottonmouth's diet. 

Despite its formidable appearance and nasty reputation, it often chooses to flee or freeze open mouthed in threat, rather than to coil and strike. The snake's threatening gesture of exposing the white tissue of the inside of its mouth has earned its popular name. When startled, they have been known to vibrate their tails against vegetation, making you aware of their presence, they can also secrete a foul smelling musk.  As with all snakes, they avoid contact with humans or any other possible predator. But like any animal, when threatened, cottonmouths will attack to protect themselves.  Only seven percent of all Texas snakebite cases involve cottonmouths. Throughout the United States, less than one percent of all deaths by snakebite have been caused by cottonmouths.  Almost all bites by cottonmouths involve snakes purposely touched or molested in some way.

They are generally active from March through December and have also been seen on warm days in January and February. They hibernate along hillsides and upland areas above streams, usually under large roots, in burrows, or in rock crevices. In spring and fall, snakes are most active during the warmer part of the day, whereas in summer they are most active at dusk or at night.