Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I do a lot of educational shows and public exhibits with my herp society and it is always fun to get new snake information.

A guy told me just south of Alton Illinois a kid jumped in a pond and landed in a cottonmouth nest only to recieve over 100 bites and die on site.

I tried to explain cottonmouths have not been varified that far north in the last 25 years (or ever as far as I know). I explained their range in Illinois is very limited to the southern tip and many watersnakes do occur in the area he mentioned and they often look like cottonmouths (but he has seen the white mouths on these and knows they were the venomous ones). But I gave the man the benefit that along the river it is not impossible for someone to come across one.

But I had nothing for him on the subject of cottonmouths buildling nests in the water. I had to explain those myths have been around forever and they go right with the cottonmouths that jump in boats. "But it really happened in my town."

Alright, lets move on....

"I'm one of those few people who can smell a copperhead"

I have seen this guy at our displays before and he assures me copperheads have a copper smell.

"If you rub your fingers on a penny and smell them, a copperhead smells like that hint of copper."
"This is why my friends always like me going with them in the woods. Because I can smell this in time."

For those of you who sniff out your Agkistradons...you are not alone. But maybe I am the one who is crazy and cannot smell the scent of Lincoln while field herping.

While a lot of his story is obviously far-fetched and an urban legend, being able to smell out snakes is not all that crazy.

I can say with honesty that I've caught snakes that I have located by the smell of their musk... You may think I'm crazy, but here is a short list and description of smells:

Watersnakes - high nasal pungent, quite a bit of variation
Milksnakes - Sweet smell (especially L. t. syspila)
cottonmouths - foul throat sensation, almost more of a taste than a smell at times (but believe it or not I kinda like the smell of cottonmouth musk now that I've worked with them so much)
copperheads - some people say the smell like cucumbers... I don't, but they definately have a unique smell (but not like a penny in my opinion).

There is also a plant that you can find in wet/lowland areas that can smell quite a bit like a cottonmouth. For the life of me I can't remember where I read it... Possibly in Dr. Gibbon's book Poisonous plants and Venomous Animals, but I could be completely off on that one. I might've read about it on one of my friends plant books, but I don't remember for sure.

A lot of the people in my lab thought I was pulling their legs when it came to smelling out snakes until they saw me do it. Then after they saw me do it in the field to catch a copperhead which I smelled well before I saw it they started bringing me snake bags that they had transported animals in. I was something like 10 for 10 for the year ID'ing snakes down to species level by smell alone they quit testing/teasing me.

Alright, now that you mention it I guess there are quite a few snakes which have a musk that is very distinguishable. Cottonmouths, watersnakes, and garters in particular for IL natives.

I can go in my room of snakes and identify right when I walk in who I need to clean up after. usually its a yellow anaconda...but I know right away if its a green (not because of size of the snake either).

But never have I smelled a copper smell from a copperhead...but I am not good at using my nose while field herping. I must say I am impressed by your keen sense.

>>A guy told me just south of Alton Illinois a kid jumped in a pond and landed in a cottonmouth nest only to recieve over 100 bites and die on site.

In spite of there never being a recorded case of anything like this, I get this story about once a month or so. They always swear that it was in their town. Sometimes it was someone they knew and they get downright offended when you gently suggest that it might not have happened...

The story of the cottonmouth nest has been published in newspapers (so much for trusting the Press) in every state the cottonmouths occur in & a handful of states they have never been seen in. Ain't never happened.

~~Greg~~

Same goes for the story of the boy who was fishing with a can of worms that kept biting him and they turned out to be baby cottonmouths... I've heard that story all too many times also.

One of the ones that I hate the most has to be this:

I was actually asked by a Game & Fish employee (a wildlife officer overseeing the area actually) about black ratsnakes (now western ratsnakes) and copperheads interbreeding and producing venomous snakes that look exactly like black ratsnakes. And he believed this.

Here in southwest Missouri we have a very high population of Black ratsnake X Copperhead hybrids. Just ask anyone local. There is also a ton of Black ratsnakes here that are 16'+. Many local farmers have seen them crossing the road with their head in the ditch on one side of the road and their tail in the ditch on the other. These snakes are also extremely smart. They know I am a snake catcher, so even though there are numerous sightings of the enormous blacksnakes, they know when Im coming and hide.

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Those are called CopperheadedRattleMocassins! Northest Texas also abounds of the urban legend of Texas Rat Snakes breeding with Copperheads. According to the Game Warden quoted in the newspaper article I read a few years ago it might be possible! LOL
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Tim Cole
www.Designeratrox.com/
www.AustinReptileService.net
www.AustinReptileExpo.com/
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Conservation through Education

Well in California, rattlesnakes have been interbreeding with gopher snakes for many years,according to "scientists". And its true! Sure, it LOOKS like a gopher snake BUT then it'll hiss, rattle its tail, flatten its head jes like a diamondback, and strike at ya! Crossbreds are very dangerous!

Greg,
I was once water skiing on Lake Panasoffkee and went right over a nest of "trapjaws"!
Dang, I was lucky!
LOL!

Randal

I heard that some of the lake fish are crossbreeding with copperheads. The resultant 'fisnakes' are supposed to be very dangerous. They have the power to produce venom and caviar at the same time!
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We are the best GALATASARAY

There is a fish called the snakehead that has recently been found (released, one assumes) in freshwater bodies in a few states, including Florida. The Powers That Be were (are) all aghast...much like they were in the late '60's over the presence of walking catfish in south Florida. They were supposed to take over the state & displace every desirable fish in Florida. The walkers are still here...just not in the numbers predicted..and we still have a viable bass, bream & spec fishery.
The sky is falling. ~~Greg~~

Now...now Greg...we all saw how turable those critters can be! Didn't you see that (oh so accurate) movie documentory: SNAKEHEAD TERROR?

It aired on my favorite, the SciFi Channel so's you know they is right!

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."