The body of this young, venomous Water Moccasin is very thick for its length, and has a relatively short, thick tail. When the snake finally had enough, it slithered into a hollow tree. Banded water snake vs. cottonmouth The trouble with brown snakes is they all look very similar. When threatened, a water snake can flatten its head and body to create a shape similar to a cottonmouth, but the head will look flat, not blocky. How to tell if it’s a copperhead snake: Has […] The Venomous Florida Cottonmouth (or Water Moccasin) has a body that is VERY thick and heavy for its length. Hognose vs. copperhead The copperhead is Agkistrodon contortix and the water moccasin is Akgistrodon piscivorus. The cottonmouth also has a narrow, vertical pupil, while banded water snakes have round pupils. Northern water snakes can vary in their coloration, some more red than brown, some very dark, some very dull, but the pattern is the same. One day a young Deputy showed up at my office and asked if i could identify a snake he had . The eye of the cottonmouth is also elliptical, but don’t get close enough to identify one this way. Copperheads have five subspecies: the northern, northwestern, southern, broad-banded and Osage. The two together (n. water snake – top). Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus).Sadly, harmless snakes are often killed out of fear for the safety of family and pets. Notice that the head is also thick and blocky. Banded water snake vs. cottonmouth ... Copperhead bites are painful, but very rarely fatal. There are many harmless watersnakes (genus Nerodia) that are frequently confused with venomous Water Moccasins a.k.a. While similarities exist with colors, pattern, and the head is unmistakably different. Body Types. As I said, the water snake’s pattern is variable, some may be darker, lighter, or may even be quite red, but the pattern on the copperhead is locally consistent. Banded water snake vs. cottonmouth The trouble with brown snakes is they all look very similar. While copperhead crossbands are narrow in the middle and wide on the edges, water snake crossbands are wide in the middle and narrow on the edges. In certain parts of the country, especially the South, you could encounter both the copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and the cottonmouth (A. piscivorus), often referred to as the water moccasin. Look at the patterns on the snakes above and you should have no problem differentiating a northern water snake from a copperhead. Can you tell the difference between a dangerous coral snake and a mild-mannered king snake? Water moccasins (cottonmouths), radiated rat snakes, Australian copperheads and sharp-nosed pit vipers are all sometimes called copperheads, but these are different species from the North American copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix).” Hognose snakes come in a variety of colors and patterns. Have fun! You may have seen a venomous (poisonous) copperhead, or perhaps a copperhead lookalike that is non-venomous, in the wild or your backyard.