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Snake thread 2020

350,255 Views | 1871 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Null and Void
DaveAg02
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irish pete ag06 said:

DaveAg02 said:

irish pete ag06 said:

1990AG said:

Great example of the telltale "mascara" on that Moccasin

Can you explain this a little more?


It's that dark line right through the eye. Best way to tell a water snake from a moccasin.
Awesome! Thank you very much. I've lived in my house for 2 summers and I've only seen 1 snake...

I've already seen 3 this spring, so I bookmarked this thread to become better at identifying.


In that case, here's some more detail. They can be very similar when they are adults, both mostly black, both thick water snakes. Here's a good look at the heads. In the first one, you can see vertical black lines on the bottom jaw. Classic harmless water snake. Of course, they are bad mannered and will still bite, and it hurts, but no venom:



Next, the cottonmouth (moccasin). You can see the black line horizontally through the eye, and none of those little vertical lines on the jaw:



I picked two that are both hard to distinguish. Usually, they are a little brighter and more distinctive.

1990AG
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Well done Dave

DatTallArchitect
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Dave did a great job, but I thought I'd add a couple of pictures I found on the internet of some lighter colored water moccasins, so you can see that brow more easily.

irish pete ag06
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Awesome. Thanks! Do water snakes also tilt their heads up occasionally like the moccasin is doing in that picture? Long story, but I'll tell it anyways... my 2 year old loves to wander the yard. I was walking along with him and I had let him wander around 30 feet away from me or so then noticed a dark, thick snake about 3 feet long between us. I told my son to be still and he immediately took off to me of course headed right for the snake. I sprinted by the front of the snake and tried to peak as I was going around but didn't get a great look. Intercepted my boy and we headed back to the house. My wife's father passed away a few days before that and one of her friends was bringing us dinner. Of course she pulls up right after and by the time we get all the food inside and she leaves, the snake was gone. Think it was just a PBWS if I'm using the abbreviation correctly. Was quite the scare.
ttha_aggie_09
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Yes, they will. Until you can confidently ID snakes, treat them all as if they're venomous. That doesn't mean kill them all, but just keep your distance.

Every species of water snake in our area is programmed to mimic their venomous counterpart, the cottonmouth, when threatened. The flattening of the head is a very common sight to see when you corner or startle a water snake. This is why identification based on head shape is so unreliable.

Plenty of other harmless snakes do the same thing... Texas Brown Snakes (Dekays Brown Snake) try to act like scary dudes all the time but are harmless.

Additionally, I am a firm believer that most stories you hear about cottonmouths chasing people are really water snakes, if they're even true. Water snakes tend to be very aggressive at first because they have no real defense against a large predator like us, aside from their lovely musk... their aggression often scares people and solidifies a preconceived idea that it is dangerous. Like with most animals in this world, the loudest one is usually the weakest.


aTm2004
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Not practicing social distancing...

SPI-FlatsCatter 84
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Don't poke the bear?
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mpl35
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I have a family in my front yard. Always fun to see them out and about.

Watchful Ag
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Water snake? Neighbor killed it, not me. Scout's Honor


Sailor
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Juvi cottonmouth.
Badace52
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Sailor said:

Juvi cottonmouth.
CM
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Scoopen Skwert
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It's a good kill. Or at least allowable.
Watchful Ag
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What makes it a juvenile cottonmouth?? I'm getting rat snake a lot on another text thread.
Sailor
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coloration and the placement of the eyes under those "ridge scales".
ttha_aggie_09
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Watchful Ag said:

What makes it a juvenile cottonmouth?? I'm getting rat snake a lot on another text thread.
They're not experts if they think rat snake... not even remotely close to a rat snake. Coloration/pattern, size and it probably had a yellow tail - indicators of juvenile. Easy way to remember is if it looks like a copperhead but with darker coloration and slightly different pattern, it's probably a juvi cottonmouth
agcrock2005
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Watchful Ag said:

What makes it a juvenile cottonmouth?? I'm getting rat snake a lot on another text thread.
Scroll up to the top of this page and then to the bottom of the last page. Lots of pics of cottonmouths and differences between cottonmouth and water snakes. This was a very easy ID as cottonmouth after looking at them. The "mascara" is what definitely sets it apart in your picture.
Watchful Ag
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Thanks guys
BCO07
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Tell them to open the mouth and look at the fangs
Courtesy Flush
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I feel like I should know this but I don't???
Badace52
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Cottonmouth
CM
No material on this site is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. See full Medical Disclaimer.
Courtesy Flush
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Badace52 said:

Cottonmouth


He was actually quite small. I was mowing around some ok trees and looked down and he was under my feet. It is out in the country and there is a pond on the property but it is several hundred yards from where this snake was
Scoopen Skwert
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Great picture and great story.
Fleen
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"Time to go, don't know where they're at!"
TheClaw07
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Not a snake... guess they had a little dispute
dg77ag
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Friend found this in her yard, can anyone id?
Sazerac
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I'd say a garter
dg77ag
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Thanks, looks like a checkered garter snake
Fall87
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Friend saw this in the water at their Lake McQueeney house. Can anyone ID it for us? Also including a couple of copperheads from Traditions a couple of weeks back.


BuddysBud
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It's not as high as a hat, but it looks like a rat [snake] to me.
Maybe the experts will correct me.
Fall87
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I was thinking rat as well.
txags92
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DBWS?
Sazerac
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That's a water snake
4stringAg
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Here's a couple of cottonmouth pics



4stringAg
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Here's what I believe is a racer that I posted a few pages back but I was using free photobucket and they put that watermark over it so here's the regular pic:


4stringAg
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Speckled king:


 
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