Agkistrodon piscivorus Totally Explained

Everything about Agkistrodon Piscivorus totally explained

ť Common names: cottonmouth, water moccasin, black moccasin, black snake, more.

Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous pitviper species found in the eastern United States. It is a close relative of the copperhead, A. contortrix. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

Description

This is the largest species of the genus Agkistrodon. Adults commonly exceed 80 cm (roughly 2 ft. 8 in.) in length, with males growing larger than females. They have a heavy body with a moderately long tail. Occasionally, individuals may exceed 180 cm (5.9 ft) in length, especially in the eastern part of the range. According to Gloyd and Conant (1990), the largest recorded specimen of A. p. piscivorus was 74 inches (1879 mm) in length (Conant, 1975), based on a specimen caught in the Dismal Swamp region and given to the Philadelphia Zoological Garden. It should be noted, however, that this snake had apparently been injured during capture, died several days later and was measured when straight and relaxed. The color pattern consists of a brown, gray, tan, yellowish olive or blackish ground color, which is overlaid with a series of 10-17 crossbands that are dark brown to almost black. These crossbands, which usually have black edges, are sometimes broken along the dorsal midline to form a series of staggered half bands on either side of the body. These crossbands are visibly lighter in the center, almost matching the ground color, often contain irregular dark markings, and extend well down onto the ventrals. The dorsal banding pattern fades with ages, so that older individuals are an almost uniform olive brown, grayish brown or black. The belly is white, yellowish white or tan, marked with dark spots, and becomes darker posteriorly. The amount of dark pigment on the belly varies from virtually nothing to almost completely black. The head is a more or less uniform brown color, especially in A. p. piscivorus. Subadult specimens may exhibit the same kind of dark, parietal spots that are characteristic of A. contortrix, but sometimes these are still visible in adults. Eastern populations have broad dark postocular stripe, bordered with pale pigment above and below, that's faint or absent in western populations. The underside of the head is generally whitish, cream or tan.

Geographic range

Found in the eastern United States from Virginia, south through the Florida peninsula and west to Arkansas, southeastern Kansas, eastern and southern Oklahoma, and eastern and central Texas. A few records exist of the species being found along the Rio Grande in Texas, but these are thought to represent disjunct populations, now possibly extirpated. The type locality given is "Carolina," although Schmidt (1953) proposed that this be restricted to the area around Charleston, South Carolina. Species are listed as such due to their wide distribution, presumed large population, or because it's unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. The population trend is stable. Year assessed: 2007.
It doesn't hold any other conservation status, and because of its perceived aggressiveness and fear of its bite, many are killed by humans every year. Unfortunately, the far more common species of water snakes of the genus Nerodia are often mistaken for it, and many more of them are killed every year.

Habitat

This is the most aquatic species of the genus Agkistrodon and is usually associated with bodies of water, such as creeks, streams, marshes, swamps and the shores of ponds and lakes. Behler and King (1979) list its habitats as including lowland swamps, lakes, rivers, bayheads, sloughs, irrigation ditches, canals, rice fields and small clear rocky mountain streams.
   It is also found in brackish water habitats and is sometimes seen swimming in salt water. It has been much more successful at colonizing Atlantic and Gulf coast barrier islands than the copperhead, A. contortrix. However, even on these islands it tends to favor freshwater marshes. A study by Dunson and Freda (1985) describes it as not being particularly salt tolerant.
   In addition, many of the snakes that did bite didn't inject venom. Such a "dry" bite could also be another, more serious threat display. Unlike most snakes, including the copperhead, when startled the cottonmouth often will stand its ground and open its mouth ("gape" or "smile") to warn predators to stay away. That behavior is many times seen as aggressive, but if left alone that'll leave.
These snakes are semi-aquatic, spending almost all their time close to permanent water sources. They swim with much of their bodies floating above the surface distinguishing them from water snakes, which tend to swim mostly below the surface, sometimes with their heads protruding.
   The name "cottonmouth" is earned by the snake's tendency to open its mouth widely, displaying white tissue inside as a warning gesture.

Feeding

Ditmars (1912) described this species as omnicarnivorous. Its diet includes mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, snakes, small turtles and small alligators. Cannibalism has also been reported. Normally, though, the bulk of its diet consists of fish and frogs. On occasion, juvenile specimens feed on invertebrates. !bgcolor="#f0f0f0"|Geographic range |- |A. p. conanti |Gloyd, 1969 |Florida cottonmouth |ignore="width:40%"|The United States, in extreme southern Georgia and virtually all of the state of Florida, including many of the islands off the coast. |- |A. p. leucostoma |(Troost, 1836) |Western cottonmouth |The United States, from southern Alabama along coast of the Gulf of Mexico, including many offshore islands, to southeastern and central Texas, and north to Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. |- |A. p. piscivorus |(Lacépède, 1789) |Eastern cottonmouth |The United States in southeastern Virginia, the Atlantic Coastal Plain and lower Piedmont of North and South Carolina, including the banks, peninsulas and islands along the Atlantic coast, and west across Georgia. |- |}

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