Water Moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
- Height: 2″-4″
- Length: 30″-60″
- Weight: 2-10 pounds
- Diet: Carnivorous, eating birds, rodents, fish, and small animals.
- Breeding: Can occur anytime throughout the year but typically April – May.
- Gestation: 3 to 4 Months.
- Reproduction: 8 – 12 young late summer through early fall..
- Habitat: Freshwater streams, ponds, rivers, lakes, and marshes.
- Legal Status: Common in North Carolina, and illegal to harm, capture, or remove from the wild in North Carolina.
- Other Names: Cottonmouth, swamp moccasin, black moccasin, and marsh moccasin.
- Interesting Facts: The Water Moccasin gets its name “Cottonmouth” from the white appearance of the inside of its mouth it shows to a perceived threat. Water moccasins can live over 20 years in the wild. They have been known to aggressively chase people.
The Water Moccasin or (Cottonmouth) is widely known for its white mouth as it opens warning someone that they are too close and it will bite. Water Moccasins typically range between 31″ to 70″ in length, and can weigh up to 10lbs. Although coloration may be totally black, they can range in colors from tan, olive, brown, yellowish, or grey patterns. Water Moccasins are the most aquatic venomous snake often being found near or close to water. They give birth to live young and can range from 1 to as many as 20 young during August through October, although mating can occur during any of the warmer months. They mostly feed on fish, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals, birds, and will feed on other snakes, even their own kind. Water Moccasins can be active almost year round, as they are the last snake species to den up in winter. They also happen to have the reputation for being the most aggressive.