Reptile & Amphibian Forums

saw this guy at dusk swimming across a pretty deep expanse of lake; NW Georgia again in a swampy area warm 74F

shot in the dark guess-- cottonmouth or a ratsnake.
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2 tham radix
1 Chicago Tham s. semifasciatus
2 elaphe vulpina
1 gray tiger salamander
4 Aphonopelma hentzi
1 G rosea
1 Haplo minax
1 Brachy angustum
1 Brachy sabulosum
1 Brachy vagans
1 Cent. hentzi scorp

Yeah I was thinking cottonmouth just because he was pretty heavy bodied and the ripple he left wasn't very thin; it was a large pattern like a bigger snake.

after zooming in on the head, it looks like a water snake. but at this point, i am just going w/ loch ness monster.
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2 tham radix
1 Chicago Tham s. semifasciatus
2 elaphe vulpina
1 gray tiger salamander
4 Aphonopelma hentzi
1 G rosea
1 Haplo minax
1 Brachy angustum
1 Brachy sabulosum
1 Brachy vagans
1 Cent. hentzi scorp

Well the lore I have always heard is that cottonmouths swim with much or almost all of the body on top of the water, or at least clearly visible, while the various species of non-venomous water snakes tend to swin with the head out but the body largely submerged . . . and from the photo I can't really tell how much of that snake is on the surface. I would guess at least half . . . so a coin flip?

cottonmouth

That doesn't look like a cottonmouth at all. That looks like a harmless Watersnake.

The "body out of water vs. body in water" doesn't work. I have watched both species swim with their bodies on the surface and both species swim completely under water.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Really? The head markings and shape of the head scream cottonmouth to me.
Anyone else?

That's what I thought heavy scales and big looking

Without question it's a harmless Nerodia ssp....
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

Come on guys, it's a watersnake (Nerodia). The eyes, nose, prominent labial scales are all Nerodia and very not Agkistrodon.

As someone else pointed out, either genus CAN swim high or low, but Nerodia typically swim as pictured above, and Agkistrodon typically swim like this.

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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

no doubt - watersnake.
A very common sight
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Jack Jeansonne

...a Nerodia

:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

The lack of the "bandit's mask", the lack of flotation, the shape of the head, the position of the eyes, all rule out Agkistrodon, guys. That is definitely Nerodia, (Natrix to us old guys) & most likely cyclopion. No mystery at all.

~~Greg~~

Agreed, that is absolutely Nerodia, not a Cottonmouth.

I concur. After looking at some head shots of Nerodia over the weekend, I agree with the majority. It is very likely a watersnake and not a cottonmouth. Interesting forum.

>>The lack of the "bandit's mask", the lack of flotation, the shape of the head, the position of the eyes, all rule out Agkistrodon, guys. That is definitely Nerodia, (Natrix to us old guys) & most likely cyclopion. No mystery at all.
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>> ~~Greg~~

You tell 'em Greg!
God, I'm glad someone else remembers Natrix.....
And its Elaphe guttata, Dagnabit!

John D

And its a watersnake...no doubt about it...
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I am so not lesdysxic!

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