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 Tennessee, and illegal to harm, capture, or remove from the wild in Tennessee.
- 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 percieved 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 Moccasinstypically 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. WaterMoccasins are the most aquatic venomous snake ofter 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. WaterMoccasins can be active almost year round, as they are the last snake species to den up in winter. They also happen to have the reptation for being the most aggressive.