Florida has some pretty wild wildlife, especially when it comes to snakes. Of the 55 species of snakes established in Florida, 6 are venomous. This includes the Florida Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon conanti), whose reputation speaks for itself. Also known as water moccasins, these heavy-bodied snakes live throughout interior Florida and some nearshore islands. They’re seen as aggressive and dangerous in the public eye, but the truth about this snake might surprise you – in reality, they have a lot more bark than bite.
Check out the informational video below to learn all about cottonmouths and why you might have gotten the wrong impression about them.
Think you’ve spotted a cottonmouth? Check out the museum’s Florida Snake ID Guide. Whether you want to learn about the wildlife in your general area or need to identify a snake on your porch, this guide has you covered.
About Wes Melker
Wes Melker is a second-year student at UF studying wildlife ecology and conservation. He has two passions: the natural world and media production. His work lies at the intersection of these two fields. He created the educational video in this article as part of the Florida Museum Undergraduate Internship Program. When he’s not busy with schoolwork, you can find him filming local musicians or hiking somewhere entirely off the map.
The cottonmouth snakes in this video were handled with proper tools by herpetologist Tyler Krotenberg and Debra Martin of Ashton Biological Preserve.