Outdoor Adventures

[trkyhntr]

Many times, when a 'water moccasin' is reported in local papers, it is an eastern brown-banded watersnake that is the culprit, K2. I still get a call occasionally from locals asking me what kind of snake they have. Some are certain they have a water mocccasin. I have yet to see one in Pennsylvania. I have seen them in North Carolina and farther south.

My favorite story about snakes was when a couple called me and asked if worms bite. I went there, and the boys had three baby copperheads in a coffee can. They must have picked up the snakes just after they were born, as they were only nine inches long, but with fully developed fangs. Both boys were treated for snakebite and released (LOL).

Copperheads and water moccasins both belong to genus Agkistrodon. Copperhead (A. contortrix) and moccasin (A. piscivoris) are both ovoviviparous, which means that they do produce eggs, but the eggs hatch internally in the female and the youngsters are "born alive." A bit more science for ya.