Are there cottonmouths in Massachusetts?
Short answer
No
No. GBIF holds 2 isolated records of the cottonmouth from Massachusetts, far from its range. That is most likely a captive animal or a mislabeled record.
Where the records come from
- None
- 1 to 2 records
- 3 to 9
- 10 to 49
- 50 or more
Cottonmouths across the US
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
How to recognize one
Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus
- Heavy, dark olive to black body; bands fade with age
- Broad flat head with a dark stripe through the eye
- Swims with the whole body high on the water
Dangerous. A bite is a medical emergency. Most snakes people call water moccasins outside its range are harmless water snakes.
Often mistaken for cottonmouths
- Copperhead vs Cottonmouth Copperhead: medically significant, lives in Massachusetts
- Cottonmouth vs Water Snake Water snake: harmless, lives in Massachusetts
- Cottonmouth vs Banded Water Snake Banded water snake: harmless
- Cottonmouth vs Diamondback Water Snake Diamondback water snake: harmless
- Cottonmouth vs Brown Water Snake Brown water snake: harmless
Questions
Are there cottonmouths in Massachusetts?
No. GBIF holds 2 isolated records of the cottonmouth from Massachusetts, far from its range. That is most likely a captive animal or a mislabeled record.
Where are the nearest cottonmouths to Massachusetts?
In Kentucky and Virginia.
What do cottonmouths look like?
Heavy, dark olive to black body; bands fade with age. Broad flat head with a dark stripe through the eye. Swims with the whole body high on the water.