Reptile & Amphibian Forums

While I was trimming grass near a small pond in Central Kansas. The snake came out of grass about 12 inches high then went into the pond, I had already turned around and ran, it was about 3 feet from by foot. The snake was 2.5 - 3 feet long all black , with a triangular head, right behind the head the diameter of the snake was only 1/2 inch but the body got wider down from the head of the snake to about an 1 - 2inches. Any one know if this snake is harmfull???? Any help would be great!!!!

It's hard to say from what you've given. It's possible it could be a cotton mouth but it could also be a black rat or a harmless water snake or even a racer of some kind. Was the head noticeably wider than the neck? Was the body thickish? You might go into the photos and look up the possibilities.
hope that helps,
e

If it hit the water, it's pretty easy to tell...Water Snakes will dive. A Cottonmouth will usually just swim on top of the water. They are very bouyant and float on top of the water. They can dive, but normally they just swim off on top.

First of all, Cottonmouths only barely make it into the SE corner of Kansas, so your snake wasn't a cottonmouth.

It was most likely a watersnake or gartersnake. It can't be identified by your description. I suggest you try the library or some online snake images. There are some fairly good online resources on Kansas snakes and other reptiles.
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Chris Harrison

According to the guides, cottonmouths only barely make it into the SE corner of Kansas . . . however, not to argue, I live just south of the kansas line (less than ten miles) in the middle of the state, not only is there a lake with cottonmouths in it that extends up into Kansas, I have encountered cottonmouths 25 miles north of here in Kansas as well.

Of course you can take into account that I find species in places they aren't documented to be either . . . kangroos DOR, carpet pythons in my neighbors truck, geckos in my parents kitchen, wild alligators in extreme northern OK . . . I guess I should write a book.
e

Yep..there's only one bad thing about field guides. Reptiles don't read them.

Coincidentally, I found a very large Cottonmouth today in a stream in the North Georgia mountains, of all places. In the 15 years or more I've been going to this place, I've never seen one here before. It's about 75 miles north of the extent of their range according to Conant's guide. Of course, I've always heard the locals talk about finding "Water Moccasins", but I just chalked it up to Water Snakes. Wrong. It was a very typical Eastern Cottonmouth, just like the one pictured in Conant's. I've found a gazillion Cottonmouths in South Georgia, Florida, South Alabama, South Mississippi, and Louisiana, but that's a first for me for North Georgia.

For the most part. They may occur in Cherokee County, but not where you are. Dont worry, it obviously was not venomous. We have no all black venomous snakes with out rattles in Kansas. It was probably a racer or a watersnake. I would just leave it alone. chad