Created on Day 6 December 28, 2011 Since the cottonmouth spends
much of its time in the water, it needs to bask in the sun
throughout the day to maintain a constant body temperature.
Young cottonmouths flick their brightly-colored tail tips to
attract frogs and small fish within their striking range. - The
cottonmouth is normally dark green, brown, or black. It has
patterns of darker and lighter shades especially along its
sides. - The juvenile is brightly colored with reddish-brown
crossbands on a brown background. - The cottonmouth is also
known as the water moccasin. - The species name piscivorus
actually means “fish-eater.” - The cottonmouth exposes its white
mouth when threatened. This gives its predator warning. - The
cottonmouth is a pit viper. It possesses a pair of heat-sensing
pits between its eyes and nostrils. The pits are able to detect
temperature differences of as little as 0.05oC higher or lower
than that of the background. This allows the snake to strike
very accurately at the source of heat—