I shot a snake on the lake last night thinking it was a water moccasin. Now I am unsure. I was looking around on the net and discovered that the moccasin is not the only water snake around here. Can anyone here tell me if what I I killed is in fact a moccasin or just a midland water snake?





This post has been edited by Rev. Redmond Farrier: July 23rd 2009 10:08 PM

Water snake. Mocs generally have a darker color by the time they get that big. In addition they dont have round pupils, the pupils on vipers are vertical. Mocs are a member of the pit viper family. All pit vipers have one common trait. A pair of heat sensing "pits" on the head. One behind and slightly lower than each nostral. Other than the coral snake I can not think of a poisious snake in the US that is not a pit viper. They also generaly have a triangle or shovel/spade shaped head.

Pics of Cotton Mouth (also know as water moccasin)

Look at the shape of the head in the last pic. This is the way you can reconize most bad snakes in the US. They refer to it like a shovel or my granny called it trianglar. You can just about see the pits in the third pic but can see the pupils real good.

You whacked an innocent snake!

Did you check the mouth for fangs?

That head doesn't look like a viper's head, too rounded, but really easy to confuse them, as a lot of non poisonous snakes have the appearance and general shape of poisonous snakes found the same regions. King snakes/coral snakes are a good example. Rat snakes and bull snakes have a similar appearance to rattle snakes, etc.

Most adult cottonmouths are very dark brown or even black colored, with the bands gone or almost gone on most of their bodies. Nasty tempered bastiages for sure. Cottonmouths will charge and chase people/animals, where as most other snakes flee when given the opportunity. I guess Cottonmouths believe in the castle doctrine, vs duty to retreat

I probably would've shot the bastiage too, or at least smacked it good with a big stick or shovel.

I killed a copper head here in Oregon once while out fishing. It was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay far away from it's normal habitat, and the only thing I can think of as an explanation is that it came in on a truck from somewhere in the mid west or down south OR someone was keeping one as an exotic pet, didn't want it anymore, and dumped it in the woods. Pretty damn scary to find one of those around here though. I've never encountered a rattler - been buzzed by them but never saw them - but finding the copperhead was pretty damn spooky. Took a couple blows from 10-20lb rocks to kill the damn thing.

What you killed is often referred to as a chicken snake in TN. It is a good guy that eats rodents and insects. The only damage when they bite you is that they have a row of very tiny, but extremely sharp teeth that can break the skin. Usually, they will run from any humans unless they have no option. They will also shake their tail like a rattlesnake to "rustle" leaves to make itself appear to be a rattle snake. When that doesn't work, they will turn possum. (play dead) until the threat is gone or they are dead. We used to catch these when we were kids and sell them to the pet store.

I hate snakes, so high 5 for offing one.

Looks like a good ole southern banded water snake to these eyes. They make good target practice for off-hand practice with a .22 or (like I prefer) a .17HMR! I usually don't have time to check if they're cottonmouths or water snakes when I come across them, so I usually just dispatch them.

Mike Harris

It cool if he ate him or uses that skin for a hat band!

It was the pupils that set me to wondering if I had killed the wrong snake. When I checked for fangs and found none, I began to wonder just what I had killed. I feel a little bad for needlessly killing her like that now, but it was dark and I am not well learned in snake i.d. I figured, better safe than sorry. I did keep the head, skin, and five of the babies that she was carrying (there were 18 total). I used her to start my little wunderkammer.

The babies in the jar I slapped together:


The wunderkammer:


Yes, I am a strange person.

Rev. R. Farrier

+1 I'm not into snakes at all...

Rev. Redmond Farrier,
That would creep me the heck out..