I'd be showing pictures of a dead snake. I am curious why you didn't kill it? You might not be so lucky next time you come through.
I wasn't hungry. LOL I never have killed snakes. I caught a copperhead a few weeks back. He was just as docile as could be... of course I don't handle them or anything foolish like that.
I refuse to believe it. Because they aren't the same thing. Cottonmouth Fact Sheet - National Zoo| FONZ
If it was a king snake its not of any coloration I have never seen... Honestly when I killed it I thought it was a copperhead. There are so many different colorations of copperheads here in Kansas I wasn't going to take the chance with the kids running around....
Well... you certainly dethroned him, if it was a kingsnake. Pretty sure it was but snakes and children don't mix well.
I'm guessing you missed the last sentence in the article you posted. It reads "These snakes are also called water moccasins."
However, Water Moccasins aren't venomous and Cottonmouths are venomous. Semantics aside they aren't the same species.
Can you give me one reference regarding a "water moccasin" that states that it is not a "cottonmouth"?
I probably misspoke. I think you are playing cutsie with the semantics and common names, or am I missing your intent? I think I see what you are doing, cottonmouths are water moccasins but not all water moccasins are cottonmouths. Much like my old Field Biology Professor that liked to quip, "There are no poisonous snakes. You can eat any of them and they will not poison you. However, some snakes can bite you and be venomous.". He thought he was pretty clever too. Cottonmouth genus species - Agkistrodon piscivorus... Venomous snake. Banded Water Snake - Nerodia fasciata... Non-venomous. Northern Water Snake - Nerodia sipedon... Non-venomous.
No, I prefer not to play "cutsie". The emoticon was added because I know I'm right. Just do a quick search for "water moccasin" and see what you find. A water moccasin IS NOT a non-venemous water snake. A water moccasin is an Agkistrodon piscivorus. It's just another name that this particular species of venemous snake is known by. http://www.livescience.com/43597-facts-about-water-moccasin-cottonmouth-snakes.html
Isn't that pretty much what I said? And many unknowing folks refer to all water snakes as moccasins. Reference my post you quoted, back to playing semantics. Otherwise I'm not sure what the debate is about.
