Cottonmouth: We had rain and heavy low clouds overnight. contributing to a later than normal sunrise. Those conditions did not seem to bother the two Cottonmouths I found swimming in a...

MikeBl Loc: USA

We had rain and heavy low clouds overnight. contributing to a later
than normal sunrise. Those conditions did not seem to bother the two
Cottonmouths I found swimming in a creek.

Cottonmouth - venomous (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
W. Kentucky, USA - 8/20/2018
1/200 sec - f/8.0 - ISO 1000

Cottonmouth
Cottonmouth...

(Download)

Cottonmouth
Cottonmouth...

(Download)

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Count me gone, Mike.

marine73 Loc: Modesto California

Me to

Earnest Botello Loc: Hockley, Texas

Very good set Mike, but I just don't cotton to snakes.

MikeBl Loc: USA

I realize some can not abide snakes in any form. Trust me, I do not post these photos to offend.
In my eyes, snakes are just another beautiful form of Nature to be admired and photographed,
some from a safer distance than others.

Sally D

Beautiful pictures, I’m not offended. Your attitude is a lot more mature than mine but I couldn’t do that for all the tea in China!

MikeBl Loc: USA

Sally D wrote:

Beautiful pictures, I’m not offended. Your attitude is a lot more mature than mine but I couldn’t do that for all the tea in China!

Sally, I completely understand! I am married to a woman with the exact same feelings when
it comes to snakes. I honestly see beauty in all forms of nature, but I also realize some forms
can be extremely dangerous. Cottonmouths are high on that list and I treat them accordingly.
I do the same for gators every winter in Florida.

bedouin Loc: Big Bend area, Texas

With the exception of the coral snake which is phenominally rare, the Cottomouth and it's land dwelling brother, the Copperhead , is the most docile and least poisonous of American venomous snakes. Both fear man far more than we should them. Neither will bite unless provoked. Keep several feet away and they are quite safe to film.... if it suites your fancy.And with widely available anti-venom, your chances of dying if bitten are virtually zero.

MikeBl Loc: USA

bedouin wrote:

With the exception of the coral snake which is phenominally rare, the Cottomouth and it's land dwelling brother, the Copperhead , is the most docile and least poisonous of American venomous snakes. Both fear man far more than we should them. Neither will bite unless provoked. Keep several feet away and they are quite safe to film.... if it suites your fancy.And with widely available anti-venom, your chances of dying if bitten are virtually zero.

In my area the only venomous snakes are Timber Rattlers (very rare), Cottonmouths and Copperheads. I did a bit of research on the two most common.

Cottonmouth - Copperhead Comparison:

Venom Potency: Both have potent cytotoxic venom that dissolves tissue. But the Cottonmouth bite is far more severe. A Copperhead bite is almost never fatal to an adult. Maybe a little kid or pet. But an adult Cottonmouth can kill an adult human, because it delivers enough venom of stronger proteins that break down more tissue and blood cells, and can cause systemic bleeding that can kill a person. Either way, you don't want to be struck by either, so if you see either snake, just back away! Never EVER attempt to catch or kill either of these snakes. 90% of snakebites from these species occur when people mess with them and try to kill them or catch them (remember, they can still strike after you think they are dead). ~http://www.247wildlife.com/copperhead-vs-cottonmouth.html~

UTMike Loc: South Jordan, UT

Great captures! Beautiful in their own way.

DJ Mills Loc: Idaho

MikeBl wrote:

We had rain and heavy low clouds overnight. contributing to a later
than normal sunrise. Those conditions did not seem to bother the two
Cottonmouths I found swimming in a creek.

Cottonmouth - venomous (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
W. Kentucky, USA - 8/20/2018
1/200 sec - f/8.0 - ISO 1000

Is #2 actually blue?

MikeBl Loc: USA

DJ Mills wrote:

Is #2 actually blue?

No, it's actually nearly black. Weird light just after daylight.

gwr Loc: South Dartmouth, Ma.

Nice shots Mike. Love #1. Gary

relbugman Loc: MD/FL/CA/SC

Once floated down a river (can't remember which, in w. Central Florida) in innertubes, at night, for a class with Walt Auffenberg (U.F.) censusing Banded Water Snakes, found many more cottonmouths, some swimming right next to us. No one was 'viciously attacked' at all. Nice photos!, except the blue one?????, but especially the first.