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Florida Cottonmouth

Agkistrodon conanti

iNaturalist Wikipedia

A powerful, heavy-bodied resident of the Southeast's wetlands, the Florida Cottonmouth is a master of the swamp. Recognizable by its 'cotton' white mouth and keeled scales, it is a vital predator in Florida's diverse aquatic ecosystems.

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Quick Identification

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Size

Typically 30 to 48 inches (76–122 cm) in length; large adults can reach 70 inches (178 cm). Weights range from 1 to 4.5 lbs (0.5–2 kg).

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Colors

Dark olive, brown, or black with darker crossbands; belly is usually pale with dark blotches; juveniles are brighter with a sulfur-yellow tail tip.

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Key Features

Broad, triangular head distinct from the neck
Dark horizontal 'mask' stripe running through the eye
Vertical, cat-like pupils and heat-sensing pits
Gaping defensive display revealing a white mouth lining

When You’ll See Them

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Activity pattern Active day and night

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Peak hours Early morning for basking; night for hunting during summer months

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Season March-November

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Diet A generalist carnivore that eats fish, frogs, sirens, small alligators, birds, rodents, and other snakes. They are also known to scavenge on carrion.

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Habitat Wetlands including cypress swamps, marshes, river floodplains, and drainage ditches; occasionally found in adjacent pine woods or palmetto thickets.

public Geographic range

Where Does the Florida Cottonmouth Live?

The Florida Cottonmouth is a native of the North American Southeast, with a range centered primarily within the Florida peninsula and extending into southern Georgia. It is found across nearly the entire state of Florida, including many of the offshore keys and barrier islands. While it is a lowland specialist common in the coastal plain, it thrives in almost any permanent or semi-permanent freshwater source within its subtropical range.

Basemap © OpenStreetMap contributors

1 Countries

250K km² Range

Least Concern Conservation

US United States

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iNaturalist / Verified observation data

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Behavior

The Florida Cottonmouth is a semi-aquatic pit viper known for its stoic and often misunderstood temperament. Primarily a solitary creature, it spends a significant portion of its day basking on logs, rocks, or banks at the water's edge to regulate its body temperature. Unlike many snakes that flee at the first sign of trouble, the Cottonmouth often holds its ground. When threatened, it performs a famous defensive display: coiling its heavy body and opening its jaws wide to reveal the startling, snow-white lining of its mouth, a warning signal to potential predators.

While they are potent hunters with a complex hemotoxic venom, they are not naturally aggressive toward humans and typically only strike if stepped on or directly harassed. They are remarkably buoyant swimmers, often seen with their entire bodies floating high on the water's surface. During the breeding season, males may engage in ritualized combat, raising their forebodies and intertwining them in a test of strength to win the right to mate with nearby females.

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Camera Tips

Capturing a Florida Cottonmouth on a trail camera requires focusing on the 'interface' between land and water. These snakes are creatures of habit and often use the same logs or muddy flat spots for basking. Position your camera about 6 to 12 inches off the ground, aiming parallel to the shoreline. Look for sunny spots near slow-moving water or swamp margins. Because snakes are ectotherms, they may not always trigger a standard Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor if their body temperature matches the background; use a camera with a 'Time Lapse' mode or set your sensor to high sensitivity to increase your chances of a trigger.

Nighttime is often more productive for seeing active hunting behavior, especially during humid summer nights or immediately after a rainstorm. Ensure your camera's infrared flash is not too close to the subject, as the reflective scales of a Cottonmouth can easily 'white out' in night photos, obscuring the beautiful crossband patterns. A video setting of 10–20 seconds is highly recommended over still photos, as it captures the snake's deliberate movements and characteristic tongue-flicking, which is used to 'smell' the environment.

Safety is paramount when working in Cottonmouth territory. Never place a camera in thick vegetation where you cannot see your feet, and always wear snake-proof boots when checking your equipment. Use a long stick to clear any debris around the camera before reaching for it. If you are placing a camera in a backyard near a canal, look for areas where the grass meets the water's edge, as these are natural corridors for snakes moving between hunting grounds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Florida Cottonmouths are active both day and night. In the spring and fall, they are primarily diurnal, basking in the sun to stay warm. During the hot summer months, they shift to being more nocturnal, hunting under the cover of darkness when temperatures are more manageable.

You should never intentionally attract venomous snakes to a backyard for safety reasons. However, they are naturally drawn to properties with permanent water features, such as retention ponds or canals, and plenty of ground cover like fallen logs or thick brush where they can hide and hunt for frogs and fish.

They are highly opportunistic generalists. Their diet includes fish, frogs, lizards, rodents, and birds. Uniquely among many snakes, they will also scavenge for carrion, often eating dead fish they find along the shoreline.

Yes, they are very common in suburban Florida and Georgia, especially in neighborhoods with interconnected canal systems, golf course ponds, or wooded wetlands. They are highly adaptable and often thrive in the 'edge' habitats created by residential development near water.

Look at the eyes and head shape. A Florida Cottonmouth has a blocky, triangular head, vertical 'cat-like' pupils, and a dark mask-like stripe through the eye. Harmless water snakes (Nerodia) have rounder heads, round pupils, and lack the dark eye-mask.

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