Where does the Cottonmouth, a venomous snake of the southeast, prefer to live?”
Although 45 species of snakes are found in Florida, only the 6 listed here are venomous and a danger to humans—see Checklist of Florida Amphibians and Reptiles. The remaining 39 species (and 41 subspecies) are harmless and should be protected for the beneficial role they play in natural ecosytems, eating insects, rodents, rabbits, and other small prey. If you are interested in all of our snakes, then you should visit our ‘Online Guide to the Snakes of Florida’. A word of caution is warranted here. If you find a snake and you do not know whether or not it is venomous, the safest thing to do is leave it alone. Florida snakes are not aggressive and, unless they are cornered, most will flee when humans approach. Occasionally, you might encounter one that is reluctant to leave because it is basking in the sun to get warm. Among snakebite victims, an unacceptably high number are bitten on the hands and arms when they are handling the snake. Do not catch a snake and do not handle one unless y
Cottonmouth may refer to: Snakes * Agkistrodon piscivorus, a.k.a. the water moccasin, a venomous and semiaquatic pitviper found in the United States. * Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen, a.k.a. the northern copperhead, a venomous pitviper found in the United States. Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper, found in the eastern United States. Adults are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. This is the world’s only semi-aquatic viper, usually found in or near water, particularly in slow-moving and shallow lakes and streams. The snake is a strong swimmer and will even enter the sea, successfully colonizing islands off both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The common names for the species include variants on water, swamp or black ‘moccasin’, ‘viper’, ‘cottonmouth’ and ‘rattler’. Many of the common names refer to the threat display, where this species will often stand its ground and gape at an intruder, exposing the white lining of its m
