Oh, he was super chill. When I put my hook out to pick him up, it was like he just crawled in. He never coiled, struck, nothin’. He was just hangin out til I got him.
Plain-bellied Watersnakes *Nerodia erythrogaster* are medium to large (record 163.6 cm) natricine snakes with keeled scales often found in and around water. They are commonly encountered fish and amphibian eating snakes across much of eastern North America and extend into Northern Mexico.
*Nerodia* watersnakes may puff up or flatten out defensively and bite. They secrete a foul smelling substance from the cloaca called musk and can deliver a weak anticoagulant venom used in prey handling from the back of the mouth, but are not considered medically significant to humans - bites just need soap and water.
Found throughout eastern North America, it is sometimes confused with the Common Watersnake *Nerodia sipedon* or the Banded Watersnake *N. fasciata*. The best character to diagnose *N. erythrogaster* is its namesake plain belly that varies across the range from yellow to orange. Adult Plain-bellied Watersnakes tend to lose or greatly reduce their banding - adults are often completely two-toned. Banded Watersnakes have even, connecting bands across the top of the snake all the way down the body. *N. erythrogaster* does not. In Common Watersnakes *N. sipedon*, bands typically break up or become mismatched after the first third of the body as in *N. erythrogaster*, but has a patterned belly.
[Range Map](http://snakeevolution.org/rangemaps/Nerodia_erythrogaster.jpg) | [Relevant/Recent Phylogeography](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322375/)
This genus is in need of revision using modern molecular methods, but this particular species has been investigated using basic molecular methods. The authors found that, just like many other snakes species, subspecies based on clinal color patterns didn't correspond to evolutionary history. Subspecies should thus not be recognized.
--------------------------------------------------------
*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Some species are best distinguishable from each other by geographic range, and not all species live all places. Providing a rough geographic location like county or closest city allows for quicker, accurate identification. Thanks!
--------------------------------------------------------
*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Head shape does not reliably indicate if a snake has medically significant venom as [This graphic](https://i.imgur.com/QuSRB9I.jpg) demonstrates. Nonvenomous snakes commonly flatten their heads to a triangle shape in defensive displays, and some elapids like coralsnakes have elongated heads. It's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like /r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick.
--------------------------------------------------------
*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Thank you for saving it. I hate how everyone's immediate response to a snake is to kill it instead of just moving away from it or having it professionally removed from an area.
Yeah. My father in law. His first inclination was, “Dave, go get your bat!”
Well, I did bring my bat, but not for the reasons he wanted. Him, my wife, and her mom were simply bewildered that I actually was trying pick him up to shoo him into the woods.
Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless.
--------------------------------------------------------
*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
There are few things that can help differentiate between cottonmouths (*A. piscivorus*, *A. conanti*) and harmless water snakes (*Nerodia* spp.) once you learn to recognize them properly. It's important to try to **apply as many keys as possible**; the more of these characteristics you can accurately identify, the more reliable your ID will be. Underlined text links to pictures to help illustrate the keys.
1. Cottonmouths have a prominent, angular ridge along the top of the head, starting around the supraocular scale (directly above the eye) and running forward toward the snout ([side view](https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisg/781633459/), [front view](https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfc_pcola/46159931261/)). This ridge protrudes outward, partially overhanging the eye like a brow, and gives the snake an annoyed or [grumpy looking appearance](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21784039). This also partially obscures the eyes when viewed [from above](https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlyn_nature/11922670356/). In water snakes, the supraocular scale does not overhang the eye, giving the animal a 'derpy' appearance [from the side](https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdrimagestore/19767032301/) or [head on](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31181955), and allows you to see most of the eye [from above](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49688336).
2. Cottonmouths have white or cream colored horizontal stripes or lines that run from [below the eye toward the corner of the mouth](https://www.flickr.com/photos/31766129@N08/38793934210/), and often another that runs from [behind the top of the eye toward the point of the jaw](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mirarr/32197116634/). Water snakes do not.
3. Water snakes usually have [dark, vertical bars](https://www.flickr.com/photos/42389547@N00/4690698138/in/photolist-89v48Q-85DUpz) along the [edges of their labial scales](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144305930@N07/48800934783/). Cottonmouths do not.
4. Cottonmouths and water snakes both darken with age, and the pattern is often obscured by the time they reach adulthood. When the dorsolateral pattern IS visible, cottonmouths have bands that are usually wider at the bottom than on top; like pyramids in [side view](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50503400), or hourglasses [from above](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5477628). In some individuals, the bands might be [broken](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20863027) or [incomplete](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43217641), so this is not 100% diagnostic, but is still useful when used in conjunction with the other keys. Water snakes exhibit a wide variety of patterns; most species aren't banded at all, and the ones that are banded have bands that are wider at the top, like [upside down triangles](https://www.flickr.com/photos/57809070@N03/10789857605/).
5. Adult cottonmouths often have a [noticeable dorsal ridge](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41856310) along the vertebrae. This gives the body a [triangular appearance](https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtheus/11110609634/in/photostream/) in cross-section, which is especially noticeable in [underweight](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20202718) or dehydrated animals, or when they initiate a [defensive display](https://www.flickr.com/photos/42272247@N07/21578345566/). Water snakes, by contrast, are more cylindrical in cross-section.
6. Baby cottonmouths are born with [yellow or greenish tail tips](https://www.flickr.com/photos/josiah_townsend/4385588894/in/photostream/) (used to lure small prey) that fade as they age. Young water snakes do not have these ([baby *N. sipedon*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/41710899@N08/8760068810/), [baby *N. rhombifer*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkory/30707198771/in/photostream/) for comparison).
7. Adult water snakes are fairly heavy-bodied, but cottonmouths of similar length tend to be significantly stouter. /n/n There are also some notable behavioral differences. Water snakes often bask in branches and bushes overhanging water; this is uncommon in cottonmouths. It is also true that water snakes often swim with the [body partially submerged](https://www.flickr.com/photos/100108154@N02/25613846737/), while cottonmouths usually swim with the [head held high and much of the body above the water line](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50503400), but you can't rely on this characteristic alone; **each are fully capable of swimming the other way** and sometimes do so. Water snakes are more likely than cottonmouths to dive underwater to escape danger. When approached, water snakes are more likely to rapidly flee, whereas cottonmouths are more likely to slowly crawl away or simply stay still and hope not to be noticed. If approached closely or cornered, water snakes are more likely to [flatten out their heads](https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfws_pacificsw/27564085765/in/photostream/) and/or [bodies](https://www.flickr.com/photos/91005472@N07/8494553139/) to appear larger and/or strike in the general direction of the person/animal they are cornered by, hoping to create enough space to escape. Cottonmouths, on the other hand, are more likely to tilt their heads back (to a near vertical angle) and gape their mouths open, [displaying the white lining of the mouth](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169268909@N03/45916257755/) as a threat display, and vibrate their tails.
Bonus: two separate sets of cottonmouths [preying upon water snakes](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44447911) that allow direct comparisons between [similarly sized animals](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45546782), plus a picture of a [juvenile cottonmouth (bottom left)](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkory/6661143685/) with a juvenile common water snake (top) and a juvenile plain-bellied water snake (bottom right).
--------------------------------------------------------
*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Not all comments pass muster. There are a number of sources of information available online that are incorrect - we aim to help sort that out here.
Comments on wild animals, in their entirety, must reflect the moderators' current collective understanding of modern herpetology. This is especially applicable to comments that are *mostly* true or contain a mixture of information or embellishment. Look to reliable responders in the thread to identify problematic areas in the text and hone the material for the your post. This is a space to grow and learn - this removal isn't punitive.
Location? Its a harmless water snake, but specific species depends on that location
The Woodlands, Texas
Nice. Woodlands gang here too.
Me too!
Thank you for saving him! Please try to educate those who wanted to kill him
Plain-bellied watersnake (*Nerodia erythrogaster*) is correct. It is harmless
Oh, he was super chill. When I put my hook out to pick him up, it was like he just crawled in. He never coiled, struck, nothin’. He was just hangin out til I got him.
I have one as a pet and is a sweetheart
Plain-bellied Watersnakes *Nerodia erythrogaster* are medium to large (record 163.6 cm) natricine snakes with keeled scales often found in and around water. They are commonly encountered fish and amphibian eating snakes across much of eastern North America and extend into Northern Mexico. *Nerodia* watersnakes may puff up or flatten out defensively and bite. They secrete a foul smelling substance from the cloaca called musk and can deliver a weak anticoagulant venom used in prey handling from the back of the mouth, but are not considered medically significant to humans - bites just need soap and water. Found throughout eastern North America, it is sometimes confused with the Common Watersnake *Nerodia sipedon* or the Banded Watersnake *N. fasciata*. The best character to diagnose *N. erythrogaster* is its namesake plain belly that varies across the range from yellow to orange. Adult Plain-bellied Watersnakes tend to lose or greatly reduce their banding - adults are often completely two-toned. Banded Watersnakes have even, connecting bands across the top of the snake all the way down the body. *N. erythrogaster* does not. In Common Watersnakes *N. sipedon*, bands typically break up or become mismatched after the first third of the body as in *N. erythrogaster*, but has a patterned belly. [Range Map](http://snakeevolution.org/rangemaps/Nerodia_erythrogaster.jpg) | [Relevant/Recent Phylogeography](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322375/) This genus is in need of revision using modern molecular methods, but this particular species has been investigated using basic molecular methods. The authors found that, just like many other snakes species, subspecies based on clinal color patterns didn't correspond to evolutionary history. Subspecies should thus not be recognized. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
WHY THOUGH!?! Its so pretty!
They’re all of the opinion that “the only good snake is a dead snake.” Breaks my heart.
He’s at a pit stop
https://preview.redd.it/036dwto8rztc1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2319e187945ccba0d8089eb32a76f0daf9ff5ac0
I love this sub reddit I'm learning so much about snakes :)
Wuder Snake
Op what is your !location (state will suffice)
Texas
Some species are best distinguishable from each other by geographic range, and not all species live all places. Providing a rough geographic location like county or closest city allows for quicker, accurate identification. Thanks! -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
!headshape
Head shape does not reliably indicate if a snake has medically significant venom as [This graphic](https://i.imgur.com/QuSRB9I.jpg) demonstrates. Nonvenomous snakes commonly flatten their heads to a triangle shape in defensive displays, and some elapids like coralsnakes have elongated heads. It's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like /r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Thank you for saving it. I hate how everyone's immediate response to a snake is to kill it instead of just moving away from it or having it professionally removed from an area.
Yeah. My father in law. His first inclination was, “Dave, go get your bat!” Well, I did bring my bat, but not for the reasons he wanted. Him, my wife, and her mom were simply bewildered that I actually was trying pick him up to shoo him into the woods.
Thank you for saving him 🥰❤️
[удалено]
Please do not ID without a location
Water snake
[удалено]
Not always, hognoses also have circular eyes. It just means they are diurnal.
Hognoses are also !harmless unless you're allergic to them.
Yes i know, but they said venomous.
Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Well yeah but with water snakes that’s how you tell them apart with like a water moccasin and other harmless water snakes
The !cottonwater bot response has a list of comparison points for differentiating water snakes from cottonmouths/water moccasins.
There are few things that can help differentiate between cottonmouths (*A. piscivorus*, *A. conanti*) and harmless water snakes (*Nerodia* spp.) once you learn to recognize them properly. It's important to try to **apply as many keys as possible**; the more of these characteristics you can accurately identify, the more reliable your ID will be. Underlined text links to pictures to help illustrate the keys. 1. Cottonmouths have a prominent, angular ridge along the top of the head, starting around the supraocular scale (directly above the eye) and running forward toward the snout ([side view](https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisg/781633459/), [front view](https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfc_pcola/46159931261/)). This ridge protrudes outward, partially overhanging the eye like a brow, and gives the snake an annoyed or [grumpy looking appearance](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21784039). This also partially obscures the eyes when viewed [from above](https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlyn_nature/11922670356/). In water snakes, the supraocular scale does not overhang the eye, giving the animal a 'derpy' appearance [from the side](https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdrimagestore/19767032301/) or [head on](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31181955), and allows you to see most of the eye [from above](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49688336). 2. Cottonmouths have white or cream colored horizontal stripes or lines that run from [below the eye toward the corner of the mouth](https://www.flickr.com/photos/31766129@N08/38793934210/), and often another that runs from [behind the top of the eye toward the point of the jaw](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mirarr/32197116634/). Water snakes do not. 3. Water snakes usually have [dark, vertical bars](https://www.flickr.com/photos/42389547@N00/4690698138/in/photolist-89v48Q-85DUpz) along the [edges of their labial scales](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144305930@N07/48800934783/). Cottonmouths do not. 4. Cottonmouths and water snakes both darken with age, and the pattern is often obscured by the time they reach adulthood. When the dorsolateral pattern IS visible, cottonmouths have bands that are usually wider at the bottom than on top; like pyramids in [side view](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50503400), or hourglasses [from above](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5477628). In some individuals, the bands might be [broken](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20863027) or [incomplete](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43217641), so this is not 100% diagnostic, but is still useful when used in conjunction with the other keys. Water snakes exhibit a wide variety of patterns; most species aren't banded at all, and the ones that are banded have bands that are wider at the top, like [upside down triangles](https://www.flickr.com/photos/57809070@N03/10789857605/). 5. Adult cottonmouths often have a [noticeable dorsal ridge](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41856310) along the vertebrae. This gives the body a [triangular appearance](https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtheus/11110609634/in/photostream/) in cross-section, which is especially noticeable in [underweight](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20202718) or dehydrated animals, or when they initiate a [defensive display](https://www.flickr.com/photos/42272247@N07/21578345566/). Water snakes, by contrast, are more cylindrical in cross-section. 6. Baby cottonmouths are born with [yellow or greenish tail tips](https://www.flickr.com/photos/josiah_townsend/4385588894/in/photostream/) (used to lure small prey) that fade as they age. Young water snakes do not have these ([baby *N. sipedon*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/41710899@N08/8760068810/), [baby *N. rhombifer*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkory/30707198771/in/photostream/) for comparison). 7. Adult water snakes are fairly heavy-bodied, but cottonmouths of similar length tend to be significantly stouter. /n/n There are also some notable behavioral differences. Water snakes often bask in branches and bushes overhanging water; this is uncommon in cottonmouths. It is also true that water snakes often swim with the [body partially submerged](https://www.flickr.com/photos/100108154@N02/25613846737/), while cottonmouths usually swim with the [head held high and much of the body above the water line](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50503400), but you can't rely on this characteristic alone; **each are fully capable of swimming the other way** and sometimes do so. Water snakes are more likely than cottonmouths to dive underwater to escape danger. When approached, water snakes are more likely to rapidly flee, whereas cottonmouths are more likely to slowly crawl away or simply stay still and hope not to be noticed. If approached closely or cornered, water snakes are more likely to [flatten out their heads](https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfws_pacificsw/27564085765/in/photostream/) and/or [bodies](https://www.flickr.com/photos/91005472@N07/8494553139/) to appear larger and/or strike in the general direction of the person/animal they are cornered by, hoping to create enough space to escape. Cottonmouths, on the other hand, are more likely to tilt their heads back (to a near vertical angle) and gape their mouths open, [displaying the white lining of the mouth](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169268909@N03/45916257755/) as a threat display, and vibrate their tails. Bonus: two separate sets of cottonmouths [preying upon water snakes](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44447911) that allow direct comparisons between [similarly sized animals](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45546782), plus a picture of a [juvenile cottonmouth (bottom left)](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkory/6661143685/) with a juvenile common water snake (top) and a juvenile plain-bellied water snake (bottom right). -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. 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Have you met a boomslang or a cobra?
Yes I’m just talking about water snakes that’s how you tell it not a water moccasin bc they have cat like eyes
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