Have a look at what I found coiled up next to the path down by the paw paw patch!
It's December 2nd, it's unusually warm for the season, and here is a tough-looking serpent, loosely poised in a striking position along the path.
This snake was fat, it's tail was cut short, (probably bitten off by one of the turtles in the pond) and it's odd patchy brownish color made it look like a real monster. As dangerous as this snake looks though, it's a harmless water snake, and is NOT a poisonous pit viper.
Water Snake Mimicking a Poisonous Viper
This snake was doing it's best impression of the venomous water moccasin, a poisonous and aggressive pit viper which can be found commonly in this region.
Flattening it's head to appear bigger, this water snake takes on a dangerous appearance, but is missing a couple of distinctive features which let me know that it was non-poisonous.
Round Pupils
The first thing I noticed on this snake was the round pupil, and that was the first clue that it was not a moccasin. Poisonous vipers have slit pupils, and this snake doesn't.
No 'Pit' in Front of Eye
Pit vipers get that name from a distinctive pit in their head right between the eye and the nostril. This snake has no such pit.
above, the snake's cut tail can be seen
I wanted to get a shot of the flicking tongue, which seemed to taste the air every time I moved to a new position for the photos, and finally got a shot:
Right after the above photo was taken, the snake struck out at me! It missed, but apparently had enough of my camera and me, and the snake took off into the paw paws.
What a Beast!
A closer look at the snake's scales in the photos shows that the light-colored parts of the snake are really just dried pond scum. I don't know what kind of snake this is, but it is a tough looking old serpent, guarding the paw paw patch on a warm December day.
this one is a little bit scary.
It was scary, right beside the path. Unfriendly too!
A lot of a snake snake I'm afraid of snakes. Your photography shows you my real photographer. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for giving a photograph to us.
It was a lot of snake. Thanks for looking, I got close so that you don't have to!
I got so much scared
I still would have jumped out of my skin, poisonous or not!
I was afraid of it, I admit. It was not a friendly animal!
looks horrible but your photography is Amazing, really good job.
Thanks! Yes this snake needed to be photographed, it was fierce-looking.
damm that's scary phewww
Great photos of a cool looking snake. Does mimic a water mocassin well. I was walking in Arkansas a few winters ago, and came across the real thing next to the trail. Never seen one before, but something in my lizard brain hollered 'don't pet the snake'. It was cold, and didn't want to deal with me either, so all was well. But they do give you a start at first glance. Pretty sure that initial 'yog' feeling hearkens back through eons of survival in our little noggins. Thanks for sharing the look-alike. A very beautiful snake.