Commonly known as a “water moccasin”, the cottonmouth is found mainly in the western half of the state.It’s habitat is mainly going to be in or around bodies of water such as rivers, creeks, lakes, swamps and wetlands. I am familiar with three of Kentuckies poisonous snakes, the copperhead the timber rattler and the cotton mouth. Department of Forestry 216 T.P. Lexington, KY 40546 859.257.7597 forestry.extension@uky.edu

Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae.The species is endemic to the southeastern United States.As an adult, it is large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. They are North America’s only venomous water snake. The snakes form a highly variable group from a habitat perspective; some are largely aquatic and must live in and near water; others are primarily terrestrial. Find premium, high-resolution stock photography at Getty Images. Of the three the cotton mouth is the most aggressive, sometimes even going out of it’s way to attack when it feels threatened. When threatened, it may respond by coiling its body and displaying its fangs. Kentucky’s reptiles occur in a wide variety of habitats. In general, our lizards tend to prefer dry, open areas although some types of skinks occur in damp woodlands as well. Cooper Bldg. View top-quality stock photos of Western Cottonmouth Moccasin With Gaping Mouth Agkistrodon Piscivorus Leucostoma Kentucky.