Water Moccasin - Cotton Mouth
The one of five venomous snakes that i have had more encounters with is the water moccasin. That should be a given with all the time i’ve spent fishing in an and hunting around lakes, streams, bayous, creeks and swamps of Louisiana, Florida and other Southern states. While I’ve never been bitten or even struck there have been plenty of opportunities where it could have happened. I’ve done a lot wade fishing in streams and lakes edges that are full of water moccasins my usual attire being a pair of board shorts. barelegged and barefoot so no protection what so ever. Water moccasins are known to stand there ground and aren’t prone to move out of the way of an oncoming human. I have stepped over moccasins I didn’t see and have had them drop out of trees and into the water I was in. I have seen them hanging from trees like so much sausage when streams flood and shoo them from their regular homes. I have side stepped them when they are sunning themselves on a sand bar or fallen log. When I do wade fish I make it a point to look at the ground i plan to step on and look for any hint of something glistening or scaly. Pine cones the litter the ground in some areas with their tight patter of bracts get my attention every time since they resemble the pattern of a snakes scales. My biggest fear is swimming into a spring time mating ball that are legendary in the South and where every Southerner has some story they witnessed or heard about concerning a water moccasin mating ball
