Jared Lloyd
03-20-2008, 12:07 PM
This is an eastern Cottonmouth in Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, North Carolina. There is a lot of ignorance when it comes to identifying this species due to the nature of most peoples' intense fear of snakes. Anything within a 100 yard radius of water is usually misidentified as a cottonmouth - and often killed. Notice however that this snake is actually floating on top of the water. This is one of the easiest ways of identifying this species when in the water as it usually is swiming with nearly 75% of its body out of the water as opposed to just its head or the ridge of its back like other species.
The "lollipop stick" is another species specific behavior in that when it goes on the defense (we were kayking by it along an 8 ft wide creek in the swamp) the cottonmouth will latch onto a stick or any other sort of structure it can wrap its tail around to use as an anchor. This in turn allows the cottonmouth greater accuracy when stricking from the top of the water.
Despite popular belief, this species is not aggressive. The difference is that the cottonmouth will usually stand its ground when aproached / encountered as opposed to fleeing for its life like other snakes. This has led to the myth that the cottonmouth is "awnry," "agressive," and therefore a danger to humans and should be exterminated.
I'm sure all you folks down there in Florida are more than familiar with this guy.
Nikon D300, Sigma 70-200 2.8, f/5.0, 1/500, ISO 800, Nikon SB 600 flash, WB: Cloudy b6
The "lollipop stick" is another species specific behavior in that when it goes on the defense (we were kayking by it along an 8 ft wide creek in the swamp) the cottonmouth will latch onto a stick or any other sort of structure it can wrap its tail around to use as an anchor. This in turn allows the cottonmouth greater accuracy when stricking from the top of the water.
Despite popular belief, this species is not aggressive. The difference is that the cottonmouth will usually stand its ground when aproached / encountered as opposed to fleeing for its life like other snakes. This has led to the myth that the cottonmouth is "awnry," "agressive," and therefore a danger to humans and should be exterminated.
I'm sure all you folks down there in Florida are more than familiar with this guy.
Nikon D300, Sigma 70-200 2.8, f/5.0, 1/500, ISO 800, Nikon SB 600 flash, WB: Cloudy b6