Water Snake or Cottonmouth?

[SandJ]

I’m not a snake expert, but the pattern looks exactly like that of a cottonmouth. It is jagged stripes that are in a random pattern. Plus the head looks arrowhead shaped.
The water snake has smooth stripes that circle the body in an alternating small light stripe/large dark stripe.
For the experts, what makes you think water snake? Please don’t read that as me being confrontational, I just would like to learn since we have them in our area also (and timber rattlers, which someone in our area died from a bite this month...and I have seen them in our subdivision).

 

[KrisReef]

Hmmm
Kinda looks like a cottonmouth to me

I was thinking it must be a hybrid cross of these two and that begs the question is this one poisonous or just scary looking?

If I had found this diamond headed snake on my porch I'd post pictures of the cranial dissection to positively answer the toxicity question. Because everyone knows that it's ok if you kill it for science.

 

[Style185]

I saw the prettiest gopher snake here (dead) because people often mistake them for a rattler (sameish markings) imo opinion I'd have to agree it's a water snake! WVNed posted a great description pic and it clearly is or was a water shake. Dont let it in yer aquarium what ever u do!

 

[Alex808]

If it’s nose ain’t pointy, it ain’t nothin to worry about. Also, poke it and tick it off a little. If it opens its mouth... you can guess what kind of serpent you’re dealing with.

 

[Mjl714]

Fortunately for you, it looks like a harmless water snake.

 

[Jdavenp3]

If it’s nose ain’t pointy, it ain’t nothin to worry about. Also, poke it and **** it off a little. If it opens its mouth... you can guess what kind of serpent you’re dealing with.

That’s awful advice. And being a redneck from the south, exactly the type of thing I do when I encounter them haha.

 

[Lor]

I am no expert, but i believe that is a plain belly water snake. The vertical bars in the mouth is the giveaway sign.

 

[SandJ]

The snake on the left is the Florida cottonmouth



I may be completely mistaken, but the pattern looks just like a cottonmouth. It is a random pattern, with some Y shape stripes.

 

[Alex808]

That’s awful advice. And being a redneck from the south, exactly the type of thing I do when I encounter them haha.

lol. I live in Louisiana. We see them all the time. If it’s a cottonmouth people usually kill them promptly. Anything else goes though

 

[scchase]

Could be worse, this one was with me in my tent last summer

 

[wareagle]

Looks like a water snake to me, and they're meaner than the water moccasins around here. I'm right outside of NO, and I've had a ton of snakes in the backyard this year. Three huge black rat snakes, a few speckled kings, and a coach whip, I think they're after the overgrown gecko and lizard population I have going on.

 

[wareagle]

The snake on the left is the Florida cottonmouth



I may be completely mistaken, but the pattern looks just like a cottonmouth. It is a random pattern, with some Y shape stripes.

You can see the water snakes big goofy round eyes from overhead, you can also make out how much they protrude on the water snake.

 

[bluprntguy]

I’m not a snake expert, but the pattern looks exactly like that of a cottonmouth. It is jagged stripes that are in a random pattern. Plus the head looks arrowhead shaped.
The water snake has smooth stripes that circle the body in an alternating small light stripe/large dark stripe.
For the experts, what makes you think water snake? Please don’t read that as me being confrontational, I just would like to learn since we have them in our area also (and timber rattlers, which someone in our area died from a bite this month...and I have seen them in our subdivision).

That’s because it’s a brown watersnake, not a northern watersnake. Brown watersnakes are almost always killed because they look like cottonmouths.

Brown watersnake:

 

[Katrina71]

Can anyone ID this one? Rat snake? Copperhead?

 

[Katrina71]

 

[RouJr]

I feel as an Australian that I must say stop worrying. If any of us is to be killed by something poisonous it shall probably be me

 

[Viking_Reefing]

It’s a water snake.
Both cotton moths and water snakes are completely harmless unless you’re planing on messing with it so you’re good either way.

 

[NeutronMan]

It’s a water snake.
Both cotton moths and water snakes are completely harmless unless you’re planing on messing with it so you’re good either way.

While I don’t plan to mess with it, I can’t say the same for my dogs :-) He’s gone now.

 

[Silver14SS]

Good dogs, I was proud of my dogs the other week for eating an anole lizard! Well, one of them got it, the other one ate it.

 

[NeutronMan]

Good dogs, I was proud of my dogs the other week for eating an anole lizard! Well, one of them got it, the other one ate it.

Haha, no, they aren’t the reason he left. He’s gone on his own free will. I was going to get the hose out on him, but he was reasonable and didn’t want to do it the hard way.