Matagorda Island special 2: Cottonmouths!
Who dares disturb me...?
| Description: | Cottonmouths, or Water Moccasons, are pit vipers closely related to the copperheads. They have quite dangerous venom, but not as dangerous as there other cousins, the rattlers. They get their name (cottonmouth) from their mouth lining. When they open their mouth, Ackistrodon Piscivorous Piscivorous (above) and the other two species of cottonmouth gape widely, exposing their puffy white mouth. They are nocturnal, feeding on mice, small birds, lizards, and fish (their latin species name is reminescent of this: pisci as in "fish", and vorous as in "devour"). In order to catch fish, the juveniles (who are easily mistaken for copperheads) constantly twitch their yellow tail tips under water, tricking fish into thinking it is a worm. Then the fish bites it and is snapped up by the snake. The younger serpents are supposed to blend in with the leaves using camoflouge, much like the copperhead, but fades into black as it matures. Adults can reach up to five feet or so and three inches around. They are found from Florida to Texas. |
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