re: Snake in my pool

 There are some simple ways to tell these snakes apart easily, even from as far away as on board a boat or on a dock.

Cottonmouths are dark, rather stout snakes.  The only water snake that is as dark as a cottonmouth is the Broad-banded Water Snake.  The rest are much lighter and/or have real obvious patterns that identify them.  If you see a very dark snake coiled on a log or limb, then look for the following:

Cottonmouths have bands around the body that have jagged edges.  When young, they are a rusty brown; as an adult they get very dark.  When wet, the pattern is very obvious.  When dry, they get very dull and dark and no pattern may be present.  The Broad-banded Water Snake is similar, but it always has some light bands across the back. 

Cottonmouths usually have one or two light stripes on the side of the head, running from the eye to the back of the head.  Water Snakes never have this feature.

Cottonmouths have a flat surface on the top of the head (see the preserved specimens on the boats).  The front part of the head (from the eye to the tip of the nose), the side of the head is rather flat; at the top, there is a sharp angle that makes the flat surface.  The Water Snake has a rounded head, with no sharp angle between the side and the top of the head.

Cottonmouths often tilt their heads back (nose toward the sky) and open their mouths when approached.  Water Snakes never do this, though they may keep the head low and strike.

If in the water and not moving, Cottonmouths usually float on the surface, while Water Snakes always have the body underwater.  The same is true for swimming.  If you pull up to a Cottonmouth on the surface, it may float, cock its head back, and open its mouth in threat.  Water Snakes will always dive to get away.  However, Cottonmouths do often dive, also.

Cottonmouths have cat-eyes (elliptical pupils), though this is often hard to see in preserved (dead) specimens.  In daylight, the pupil is a narrow dark slit; in the dark it gets very round (it opens to allow more light in so it can see in the dark).  Water Snakes have a round pupil all the time.  You can see this in the preserved specimens, but it is hard to see on a live specimen, only because you have to get so close.
 

Kill it with fire

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Baby cottonmouth. Pick up with rake and toss over fence.

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Actually, around our house & kids, even Mr. Dot would probably kill it.

He went road-cruising last night and saw a couple of baby cottonmouths on the road...they seem to be out and about this week.

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subsonic .22

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Dammit. I was coming to post this

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May your yard be overrun with rodents.

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king snakes will take care of my rats.. mock a sins get kilted.

I smashed its head in with a 2X4 then tossed it in the garbage.

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I smashed its head in with a 2X4 then tossed it in the garbage.

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:nb4alxthefukingenius:

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:cadellocansuckadick: