CottonmouthThree subspecies of the only venomous water snake in North America!The eastern cottonmouth (Ancistrodon piscivorus), a semiaquatic pit viper of lowlands, swampy regions and bayous of the southern United States. It has a heat-sensitive organ for detecting warm-blooded prey. The average length is 3 to 4 feet. If startled it raises its head and shows the white interior of its mouth. Hence the common name cottonmouth. They are found from Virginia to Alabama, the western cottonmouth ( Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma ) is found from central Texas through eastern Oklanhoma, Missouri and southern Illinois and east to Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. The Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti) is found in the state of Florida and Southern Georgia.
Snakes help keep rodent populations in check and providing food for other predators.....
Snakes want to avoid you and usually try to escape it they can.
Nationwide, approximately 50,000 people are bitten by snakes each year....
Only 7,000 of these are from poisonous snakes.
Only 10 to 12 people die from snake-bites in the United states each year and half of these are bitten by western and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.
If you are not sure just what to do if bitten by a snake!Try to remain calm.
Identify the snake if at all possible.
Bites from poisonous snakes are quite painful, but treatable, so seek medical attention immediately.
Things not to do!Do not treat a snake-bite wound with ice, tourniauets or cutting an "X" over the wound, then try to suck the venom out! These beliefs, or traditions or wise's tales are not effective.
Just go to the doctor - In almost every case, you will be told that you will be fine.......
Quote from Billybob!Snakes never takes a wise hunters, campers, hikers, fishermen, backpackers, survival and etc. by surprise; they are always ready and looking around for them......and there is nothing to fear from them, just make a genuine attempt to avoid them......
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