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Cottonmouth Observations

 
  Cottonmouths are a quirky and very interesting species of snake.  Cottonmouths are opportunistic feeders and will prey upon a variety of items, including living and dead animals.  Several times over the years I have observed unusual Cottonmouth behavior, and I wrote and co-authored the two Herpetological Review notes below concerning their behavior and feeding.
  During road cruising once in Louisiana, west of New Orleans, I also remember interesting behavior by a small adult (c. 18" total length) W. Cottonmouth on the road.  As I drove up to the snake I noticed it was rubbing the tip of its snout on the road surface numerous times.  I got out of my vehicle to investigate and found that the Cottonmouth was trying to pry up a very flattened and dead, adult Broad-banded water snake off the road surface!     
 
(Below) Adult Florida Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorous conanti) in a defensive posture, displaying the white lining inside its mouth!  Northwest FL snake. 

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(Below) Florida Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorous conanti).  Juvenile snake, still heavily patterened.  Jackson Co., FL.   Spring, 2007.  Photo by Sandi Chapman.

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(Below) Juvenile FL Cottonmouth - yellow tail tip.  Both Cottonmouths and Copperheads are born with yellow tail tips at birth.  They use their brightly colored tails as a lure to attract small prey.  Their yellow tails fade by their second or third year.  Photo by Sandi Chapman.

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Pg. 4 Southern Hognose Snake Records & Observations