Swamp struck!
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| In Kentucky we have the western variety of cottonmouth,
Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma. The Latin name translates to,
“hook-toothed fish eater.” Cottonmouths are known to be a very cold tolerant species
of snake, and the western is probably the most cold tolerant of the three races
as it has the northern-most range. During the colder months of spring and fall
cottonmouths are diurnal but become more nocturnal during the warmer months. The
maximum life span for the cottonmouth was reported by Conant and Gloyd to be 21
years. The trap jaw, or cottonmouth, is a majestic animal to behold. It will
often prowl in the open. When spotted it has the ability to move quickly
away, but often does not. It will stand its ground. |
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If it feels threatened it will provide its aggressor with an honest warning for which it has earned its many common names. Basically, a threatened specimen will open its mouth, revealing the fangs and the solid white tissue around them. This behavior has earned it the names, cottonmouth, gapper, trap jaw, and others. Unlike many snake species who bluff, this warning
display is not to be taken lightly. The cottonmouth will be more than happy
to bite any aggressor who does not heed its warning. This willingness to
defend itself has earned it an unjust reputation. |
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When other animals, especially those with fur, defend
themselves from an attacker they are attributed with qualities such as
bravery, courage, or even nobility. For some reason it is different when a
snake does the same thing! |
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Whether you can appreciate the cottonmouth or not, a bite from one needs to be given serious attention. While related to the copperhead, the bite from a cottonmouth can be much more devastating. A copperhead bite is often reported by victims to be
the most painful experience of their lives. A cottonmouth bite is not only
painful, but can have more serious effects on the body as well. |
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I am not going to lie; it has been dangerous to bring you these photographs. I never go to a cottonmouth swamp alone and you shouldn’t either. If one person is bitten another person will need to be able to drive to a hospital, which is often far away whether you are in Kentucky or somewhere else. As you can see, the majority of my cottonmouth photos are of a specimen gaping. Many of my photos were taken between strikes. It takes time and experience to learn how to safely work with this species, and even then a false sense of safety can put a person in even greater risk. |
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Even more dangerous is the tendency for people, even herpetologists, to mistake this species for a water snake and actually grab them. Many snake people do not believe that this can happen to them. I was once a person who thought that only a fool could confuse the two, and now I am either a fool or just plain lucky! Here is how it happened. Phil and I got out for a four day herping trip. We had a
really rough time finding anything at all. We slept very little as the
trip wore on because we were determined to make finds. On the fourth day we were
beat but still determined. We decided to make one last visit to the swamp before
we headed back to Louisville. We made many passes through but did not see a
thing. At the time we had still yet to photograph a diamondback water snake and
were thinking that if we could only find one that our trip would be saved. We
had exhausted ourselves with no luck and knew of one final place to look before
we were going to head home. |
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I pulled up to the spot and did not even get out, but Phil was soon signaling for me to grab the tongs. I got them and he told me he had seen two giant diamondbacks coiled on top of each other! They were just on the other side of a bank very near the water and he told me I would have only one chance to make a grab for them before they would retreat into the water. I asked him to describe where they were, which he did, and then we sprung over the bank. I knew that Phil could tell the difference between the different types of water snakes and had no doubt when I sprung over the bank that he had seen diamondbacks. |
I noticed two snakes coiled on each other right away and grabbed one of them with my tongs. They were at the base of a bush and my tongs were tangled in the branches. The snake was beginning to get through the tongs and I shouted for Phil to grab the snake, which he did. As we pulled the snake up Phil began to turn the snake belly up. Just as he noticed the belly scutes and tail I smelled the unmistakable cottonmouth musk!! Phil let go right away and I pulled the snake up and secured it. We then tried to figure out how we had made the mistake. As it turned out, Phil had seen diamondbacks, but they had slid into the water when he came to get me. He told me that he saw two water snakes coiled together and so I grabbed at the two snakes I saw when I jumped the bank. Phil was convinced I had grabbed the snakes he had seen before and so grabbed them when he saw that I was losing them. And so that is how it can sneak up on you. Four days of field herping had made us tired and we put our guard down. It was embarrassing for me to admit to myself that I had made the mistake, but I feel it important to mention it here so that some of you might see how it could even happen to you, and take measures to make sure it does not! So far I have only mentioned the dangers of a cottonmouth
you can see. The most dangerous ones are the ones you can’t see…and they make up
the majority in the swamp and the tall grass on its edges. There has been more
than one occasion when I have stepped on a cottonmouth I did not see while
walking in the grass. There is no worse a feeling than when this occurs,
especially when the specimen is over 4 feet long! |
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| Specimens exceeding three feet in length are common in
Kentucky, and specimens that reach four feet in length are encountered every
year. I have spoken to reliable herpers who have seen the odd specimen that
approached 60 inches long in this very swamp.
Here is a photo of Phil holding a large specimen we found that was well over three feet long if not four. If you don't believe the snake is a whopping swamp honker, please notice that both hooks are bending from the weight of the thing. |
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