# Water Moccasin



## Hogguide

*Water Moccasin??*

Here is one that I nearly stepped on today. Good thing I had my snakeboots on. I was walking down one of our roads checking on some stands. (wasps)
I threw rocks at him to get him to pose in the first picture.
I hate snakes.
Hogguide


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## bigswamp

I don't like 'em either...nice pics though.


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## Georgiaboy83

I hope you killed that freakin thang, I hate snakes to. We had a work day at our club this past saturday and me and two  other guys where walking in the woods looking for some places to put up some stand when we came across a timber rattler. The biggest one I have ever seen, it was about 6 ft long and about 4inched around. Didn't have anything to kill it with though. dang...


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## rip18

Good news!  It ain't a water moccasin...  It is one of the water snakes though...  The round pupils & lack of a pit give it away....

Neat pictures!


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## outdoorgirl

I hate snakes!!


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## Hogguide

rip18 said:
			
		

> Good news!  It ain't a water moccasin...  It is one of the water snakes though...  The round pupils & lack of a pit give it away....
> 
> Neat pictures!




Short and fat thru the middle, look at that triangular head in the last picture. Looks like one to me. 
HG



			
				Georgiaboy83 said:
			
		

> I hope you killed that freakin thang, I hate snakes to. We had a work day at our club this past saturday and me and two  other guys where walking in the woods looking for some places to put up some stand when we came across a timber rattler. The biggest one I have ever seen, it was about 6 ft long and about 4inched around. Didn't have anything to kill it with though. dang...







Was it anywhere near as big as this one? That is my son with a 54" long Timber Rattler with 15 Rattles.
Hogguide


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## GTBHUNTIN

where are the pics of it dead???


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## Hogguide

rip18 said:
			
		

> Good news!  It ain't a water moccasin...  It is one of the water snakes though...  The round pupils & lack of a pit give it away....
> 
> Neat pictures!




Here is a High Resolution Pic of the head.
Hogguide


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## Nicodemus

HG, it looks like a banded water snake. It lacks the elliptical pupil and the streak of different color across the eye that a cottonmouth has.


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## UGAff

Definitely not a cottonmouth... But, it is supposed to look like one so you stay back!!

Notice the pits and head shape on the cottonmouth in this picture:
http://fwie.fw.vt.edu/VHS/Eastern cottonmouth  (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus)002.jpg

here is your snake:
http://www.giffbeaton.com/Snakes/Banded Watersnake_2005-10-09-0095.jpg


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## Bubba_1122

I'd just as soon not run into either of em.


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## Hoss

Fine photos hogguide.  I believe Rip's right after seeing the high res. photos showing the eyes.  Would have put some fear in me if I'd stumbled across it.  Definitely would have been reaching for the long lens to get the pictures.  Thanks for sharing em.

Hoss


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## MudDucker

Banded watersnake...course, if I ran up on it, it would be ground check identification ;-)


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## Bruz

Rip's right....but that is a big one....I've never seen one that size before.


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## DDD

I was deer hunting about 8 years ago near a pond, a friend of mine was with me, and it was November and cold.  I stepped over a log and my friend was behind me, and an identical snake to the one pictured above lathargicly struck at my Rocky boots.  I never knew he even struck at me.  Paul yelled "just keep walking, just keep walking" scared me to death!     I knew something was wrong... I got far away and turned around and saw this same type of snake coiled up under a log and it was probably 42° outside   

We killed the sucker thinking it was a water mocasin, we laid him out in the back of the truck and he was about 5 to 5 1/2 feet long. 

Hard to tell the difference especially if your blood is pumping.


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## leo

*Thanks Hogguide*

for posting those good pics for us 

The body, the ridge along the back, and the coloration would have probably fooled me


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## hunterb

looks like a hog nosed snake.......


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## Hogguide

This snake was real aggressive. I threw some rocks at him to get him to coil up, which he did. Then I picked up a stick and poked at him a couple of times. He struck at it the first time in a real aggressive manner. I then took the stick and moved him out of my way, he did not like that much either.
He went on his way and I went on mine.
It sure looked like a water moccasin to me at the time I nearly stepped on him.
After getting home and looking at the photos blown up on the computer (200-300%), I agree he is some other kind of snake.

I have seen a LOT of Hog nosed snakes in this area. Each one has been different looking in color and length. This is by far the biggest one that I have encountered.
A hog nosed snake will also usually roll over and play dead until you try to pick them up.
I do not make a habit of picking up poisonous snakes unless it is with a LONG stick.
Hogguide


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## hunterb

thats right Hogguide.....they either play dead.....or they raise up and their head flares up....I ve seen them the color of one in your pic and almost jet black


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## R Smith

He looks a lot like this one....







This one is a banded water snake according to UGA.  Here's a link, he is 5th one down.  Lots of variations in color.

http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/nerfas.htm


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## PHIL M

I say water snake too. Its missing that band across the eye, Plus the head isnt wide enough.


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## drenalin08

Looks like a hog-nose to me as well


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## Jim Thompson

good pics no matter what type even if it is not poisonous I bet it caused the ol heart to skip one huh?


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## Emmersom Biggens

Nicodemus is correct, banded water snake, they are agressive though, and they do resemble a cotton mouth.


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## brofoster

Definitely not a moccasin, but two snakes are always better that one.  He better be glad you ran across and not me.  Everytime I step out of the truck in August and early Sept for scouting and stand place, the 870 Express and a box of #6 high brass goes with me.


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## dognducks

i killed one this morning picking up my goose decoys. i seen his ol head pop out of the water and he wasn't no match for a 3 in goose shell


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## Pappy

Great pics!............... but it gives me the heebie-jeebies!!


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## Lead Poison

outdoorgirl said:


> I hate snakes!!



ME TOO!!!!!!!!


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## Lead Poison

brofoster said:


> Definitely not a moccasin, but two snakes are always better that one.  He better be glad you ran across and not me.  Everytime I step out of the truck in August and early Sept for scouting and stand place, the 870 Express and a box of #6 high brass goes with me.



Sounds like excellent advice to me!


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## HuntingFool

I know what kind it would be if I ran across it......................DEAD!!


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## Jody Hawk

I agree with some of the others, it's not a cottonmouth !!!! It doesn't have the triangular head characteristic of the pit vipers.


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## Guy

Looks like a cottonmouth to me.  Either way it would be dead!!


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## FMC

Your absolutely right guys.  Though he might have been aggressive, he's not poisinous.  As rip stated, the close up of the eyes give it away.  

But, hey who wants to get close enough to see a round pupil.  Now, if he had been a cotton mouth, he would have probably been twice as aggressive.

Have to admit though, his camo does a good job.


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## Son

*Snake..!!!!*

Not poinous, but can give you a nasty bite and will usually break off many small teeth in your skin. Can cause a bad infection if not cleaned well. Don't mess with 'em, they have a nasty disposition.


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## MossyOak

*Poor Hog Guide*

FMC, you shouldn't say that about HogGuide ...  

_But, hey who wants to get close enough to see a round pupil. Now, if he had been a cotton mouth, he would have probably been twice as aggressive.

Have to admit though, his camo does a good job._

Mossy


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## Booner Killa

shoot im, shoot im and shoot im one more time to make sure!!!


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## GrandSlamHunter

I killed one of those Friday on my farm thinking it was a moccasin............Now I know!


GSH


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## Hogguide

GrandSlamHunter said:


> I killed one of those Friday on my farm thinking it was a moccasin............Now I know!
> 
> 
> GSH



You did not get down low enough to see if his eyes were round?
HG


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## GrandSlamHunter

Hogguide said:


> You did not get down low enough to see if his eyes were round?
> HG


I didn't notice til the shovel made them pop out!   


GSH


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## bubbabuck

rip18 said:


> Good news!  It ain't a water moccasin...  It is one of the water snakes though...  The round pupils & lack of a pit give it away....
> 
> Neat pictures!






Yep......Water snake.....had them fool me around my pond many times !!


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