Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi all,

While geocaching this afternoon, I came across a snake basking along a riverbank in Hinckley, Ohio. Although everything I've always learned has dictated that cottonmouths (water moccasins) don't occur in Ohio, after today I'm finding myself a bit unsure.

I'm familiar with the northern water snake (which is usually the culprit in Ohio "water moccasin" tales) as well as the queen watersnake, and have even caught them to see at close range. As far as I could tell, this snake didn't fit the bill for either species.

The snake I saw today was almost certainly not a member of Nerodia - the head was distinctly triangular when viewed from above, with a sharp division between the width of the head and the neck. At first glance, I couldn't help but noting the similarities between the shape of its head and that of my old bearded dragon's; you know how beardies have what look like little air-filled "bags" near the neck? This snake's head looked very similar.

The body was stout and thick, and the tail was short and stubby, tapering off quickly at the end with a distinct difference in width after the vent (think ball python). Northern water snakes' tails usually taper off much more gradually, without a noticable difference in width behind the vent, correct?

In addition, the snake's color was nearly black, with what appeared to be pale yellow "speckles" all over the body. It didn't appear to have the patches or blotches of color that northern waters usually possess.

Anyone have any feedback, or have a similar story in Ohio? Sorry that I don't have any pictures, but I certainly wasn't expecting this today!!

My guides don't indicate Agkistrodon piscivorus coming anywhere near ohio. But I do have an explanation for what it could have been. Some large water snakes can totally flatten themselves out. They end up looking 3 or 4 times wider than they are, and they can mold their headshape to look like a venomous snake. As for the tail, Nerodia's tails are not exactly the most sturdy structures. My experiences from grabbing them by the tail go along with some literature I have read which explained their ability to almost shed their tails like lizards. I have had many large Nerodia escape due to me grabbing them by the tail as a last ditch effort, only to have the end of the tail in my hand and nothing else. Also, if you see a lot of Nerodia, you will notice that alot have blunt tails. And for color...it is Nerodia. Even species that are normally patterned can be almost black or dark brown. Maybe someone else that lives up that way can offer another explanation, but that is my guess.
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Andy Maddox
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Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika. Nothin' proper about ya propaganda. Fools follow rules when the set commands ya. Said it was blue when ya blood was red. That's how ya got a bullet blasted through ya head"- Rage Against the Machine

>>Hi all,
>>
>>While geocaching this afternoon, I came across a snake basking along a riverbank in Hinckley, Ohio. Although everything I've always learned has dictated that cottonmouths (water moccasins) don't occur in Ohio, after today I'm finding myself a bit unsure.
>>
>>I'm familiar with the northern water snake (which is usually the culprit in Ohio "water moccasin" tales) as well as the queen watersnake, and have even caught them to see at close range. As far as I could tell, this snake didn't fit the bill for either species.
>>
>>The snake I saw today was almost certainly not a member of Nerodia - the head was distinctly triangular when viewed from above, with a sharp division between the width of the head and the neck. At first glance, I couldn't help but noting the similarities between the shape of its head and that of my old bearded dragon's; you know how beardies have what look like little air-filled "bags" near the neck? This snake's head looked very similar.
>>
>>The body was stout and thick, and the tail was short and stubby, tapering off quickly at the end with a distinct difference in width after the vent (think ball python). Northern water snakes' tails usually taper off much more gradually, without a noticable difference in width behind the vent, correct?
>>
>>In addition, the snake's color was nearly black, with what appeared to be pale yellow "speckles" all over the body. It didn't appear to have the patches or blotches of color that northern waters usually possess.
>>
>>Anyone have any feedback, or have a similar story in Ohio? Sorry that I don't have any pictures, but I certainly wasn't expecting this today!!

Cottonmouths do not occur in Ohio. There is only one solid black watersnake that I'm aware of that occurs in that region, the Copperbelly Watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta. It is relatively rare in Ohio, but it does occur there.

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We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Ralph Waldo Emerson

The range of the Cottonmouth comes no where near your area, and the description does not match the Cottonmouth. I suspect that what you saw was most likely indeed a Northern Water snake - in particular, a melanistic (dark) gravid female. The rapid taper of the tail says it's a female, and the stout body and time of year indicate she may well be about to deliver young. Northern Waters can be extremely variable in coloration and pattern, and all-black or very dark unpatterned specimens are well documented. The short, stubby tail may be the result of a part of it having broken off. This is relatively common in water snakes.

As for the head and pale speckles, this smacks of a snake in a defensive posture. When threatened, they will inflate/flatten themselves to look bigger and more threatening, and in the process reveal lighter skin between the distended scales. Or, the distended scales may be due simply to her being full of babies. And the head, which normally is only slightly wider than the neck, can look very broad and triangular - remarkably like a pit viper - when they flatten themselves.

The other possibility is a melanistic Eastern Garter snake, which I believe is relatively common in the Lake Erie area.
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MichaelB

Northern Water Snakes look very similar to Cottonmouths, but as stated in michael's post it is most likely a gravid female puffing herself up.

The farthest North the Cottonmouth comes is Southern Tennessee, so the chances of seeing one in Ohio is not likely. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with their historic geographic range, so I can't say if there is really a "isolated" population. I highly doubt it because most Ohio residents kill snakes thinking they are Cottonmouths, Copperheads, or Rattlesnakes even though they look nothing like the real thing. I met a guy who was trying to kill a Eastern Fox Snake thinking it was a Timber Rattlesnake once... he was about 300 miles north of their range.

Here is a useful resource for Ohio snakes:

www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/resources/reptiles/reptiles.htm

I actually live in Delaware (just north of Columbus)if you have any other questions...
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Sean McIntyre

Currently have:
0.1 Antherystic Elaphe Guttata Guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe Vulpina Gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Leucistic Elaphe Obsoleta Linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia Spilota Cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python

Saving for:
Agkistrodon Contortix Mokasen - Northern Copperhead
Epicrates Cenchria Cenchria - Brazilian Rainbow Boa