Snake ID

[switchbackxt]

well.....if you got fangs I stand corrected....I live on Lake Conroe and my shovel has a steady diet of cottonmouths......I just always see a much more triangular shaped head than this....got any good pics?

No Sir, that is the only one I have. It was almost dark.

[okrattler]

Water Moccasin. That arrow shaped head and the patterns down its body are a dead giveaway. The snakes are movin thick around here. I've been seeing anywhere from 6 to 8 rattlesnakes every day for the past several weeks.

[ArrowRanger]

Hard to tell in the pic with that light either the "Blotched Water Snake" Or "Diamondback Water Snake"....both often mistaken for water moccasin. Fangs huh well then it IS a moc! A dead one

[Ætheling]

Black Mamba

[Mr. Stickers]

CM All the way

[Gom]

Too close for comfort! Cottonmouth. Curious,how close is the nearest water hole?

[PowThudBeer]

Cotton mouth, you can barely see the pattern.

Also, if you zoom in the size of the scales towards the front of the head are a dead give away.

How are the scales by the head different from a watersnake? To me the head doesn't look nearly arrowhead enough but I usually use the eyes to tell. Didn't know to use the scales too.

[SB09]

How are the scales by the head different from a watersnake? To me the head doesn't look nearly arrowhead enough but I usually use the eyes to tell. Didn't know to use the scales too.

Trying to find you some comparison pictures now. It's not the best way to tell the difference, but it is reliable.

[junkmanhunter]

Cotton mouth..

[snappertapper]

How are the scales by the head different from a watersnake? To me the head doesn't look nearly arrowhead enough but I usually use the eyes to tell. Didn't know to use the scales too.

Compare the 3 scales going across from one eye to the other.



Moccasin



Here is a diamond back water snake for reference.



Also, you can see the coloration in the snake on the OP to tell that it is indeed a moccasin.

[PowThudBeer]

Thanks for taking the time to school me.