Common name : Water moccasin, Swamp moccasin, Black moccasin
Scientific name : Agkistrodon piscivorus
Family : Viperidae
Native to : North America
Interesting fact : Baby cotton-mouths catch prey by wiggling their brightly coloured tail tips which little frogs mistake for worms.
Conservation status : Least Concern
This venomous water snake will gape its mouth open showing its cotton white lining. Active by night, they bask in the sun during the day. Heat-sensing pits on the heads help locate prey for striking. Found in rivers, swamps and marshes they float with their heads out. Babies hatch from eggs inside the mother before being laid.
