Nuh uh one time I was out with my grandpappy and a cottonmouth flew 7 feet at me, took my hat clean off my head. Looked down and my wallet was gone too and never saw the snake again. Guess that’s just life in moccasin country though 🤷♂️
And I saw one laying in the road. When I got out to see if it was dead it quickly slithered to my car, into the seat and stole my car. My fault for leaving it running I guess.
I really don't understand why your channel isn't booming. Great information, great footage, cute hosts (is that how you like to be referred to?), and plenty of videos for lots of additional content. This channel should be going bonkers! Still watching and trying to do my part to make the algorithm work for you. Best wishes to you both, always! Stay safe out there!!
Thank you so much, that seriously means the world! Support like this is what keeps us going and makes all of this worth it, and we’ll keep working so we can get some real growth going. Really glad you enjoyed the video, this was a fun one to put together.
My father, brother and I were aggressively chased off a small island in a large Creek in SE Missouri by a cottonmouth that started its waterborne charge on us from over 25 yards away with no provocation whatseover. They are extremely aggressive snakes. We also had copperheads all over the place -- including under our front porch -- and never had an issue with one. I would encourage you to go into the water and pull that same path-blocking stunt on one. They may behave differently in the woods (I've personally never encountered one there), but the water is another story. Most of the people in the area were extremely wary of them and would leave the water if they spotted one anywhere in the vicinity.
It’s always best to give cottonmouths a wide berth, but having spent time with cottonmouths in the water, I haven’t noticed any more defensiveness from them in that environment. I do find that they’re usually confident enough to move towards you in the water, so that could have contributed to the behavior you saw. Thanks for watching.
Don't know where they get off saying that a Cottonmouth won't chase you. To hell they won't. We had to fight off a Cottonmouth that was chasing my brother in the lake. They DO chase people.
I encourage you to watch the whole video and see if our demonstrations give you any new insight in their behavior. Almost all cases of “chasing” come down to misinterpretations of their actual behavior, which we discuss at length in the latter half of this video. There’s no benefit to a snake like a cottonmouth chasing a predator with the intent to bite, because their bite would not be successful in defending their own life if the predator decided to retaliate in any way - the venom could not take effect fast enough. Even if the snake was moving in your direction, there’s something else going on. Check out the chasing segment at 16:47 for more details on this.
@@TheWildlifeBrothers You are so wrong. 54 years old. When I was a kid we played in old blackwater ponds deep in the woods. THEY CHASE YOU! When I was in my 30s I would take my family fishing on foot hiking in the creek for two weeks at a time sometimes. THEY CHASE YOU regularly. About 8 years ago I worked on a lake in maintenance for the US Army Corp of Engineers. THEY CHASE YOU. Stop trying to teach people from what you have read on the internet. You're going to get someone hurt.
Had one in captivity years ago. Found him crossing the road in early November - very sluggish. Discovered hours thereafter he had a head injury, when he bled profusely when he clamped down on a pencil I inserted crosswise in his mouth to show his fangs to my friends. Put tetracycline in his water and left him quietly alone. Early spring: he had become one of the most docile snakes I've ever held captive (I've had hundreds). Later spring: took him into the backyard to crawl free and get some sun. Finally acted like the stereotypical cottonmouth - whipped around, coiled and gave me the open-mouth threat posture. Within two hours, he was released into a swamp about 40 miles from my home. Just a wild animal doing what he does - no threat to me or anybody else, just wants to live and be left alone. Have had some harmless water snakes literally throw themselves toward me - not "attacking" or "chasing," just a poor panicked critter trying to get away from the huge monster they were facing.
It was very kind of you to rehabilitate the cottonmouth that you found, I’m glad to hear that he made a successful recovery! You’re absolutely right about their temperament too, they’re much calmer and more discerning animals than they get credit for. Thank you so much for watching!
We usually present our measurements in metric because that is the system that is used in science, and by most of the world. We’ll always have conversions on screen for actual numbers we present, but even in this video we switch a bit between presenting with customary or metric. Hope the video was enjoyable anyway! Thanks for watching.
Cottonmouths are not aggressive, but they are extremely territorial. If you enter their territory whether deliberately or accidentally, they will do whatever they believe necessary to 'inspire' you to leave. I have had numerous encounters with cottonmouths in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas for 50+ years. I have never had one make any attempt to avoid a confrontation. One time my dad, my uncle and I were squirrel hunting, going down a dried up Texas creek bed. We encountered ten cottonmouths. Not a one of them made any effort to avoid a confrontation. When they saw us coming, they just rared up and waited for us. That plain-bellied water snake looks as much like a cottonmouth as a bullfrog does. Cottonmouths have a very thick body, very heavy in proportion to their length and their bellies are a dull white or cream colored. Of the hundreds of cottonmouths I have encountered in the woods, along creek beds, in outhouses, in yards or in zoos, all have been a variety of grey with not a hint of green. However, I don't believe I have every encountered the Florida variety. Cottonmouths also have a strong, musky odor; so strong it is not unusual to smell them before you see them. During mating season, cottonmouths gather in creeks or rivers in huge balls containing numerous snakes. If you are in the water and encounter one of these balls of snakes, your chances of survival are not good. I have seen these balls of snakes on at least three occasions. Fortunately, I observed them from the bank.
You’re right that cottonmouths are more inclined to hold their ground than other vipers, and especially in a tighter space with few escape options like a dry creek bed they’re likely to rely on defensive displays rather than flee immediately. I don’t disagree that plain-bellied water snakes and cottonmouths look quite different to a trained eye, but for those who are unfamiliar it’s relatively easy to get them confused. Seeing a cottonmouth breeding ball is probably a nightmare for most people, though of course I find them fascinating and would love to film one someday. Thank you very much for watching!
Cottonmouths Agkistrodon picivorous don't form breeding balls they complete for females in combat rituals where the males will wrestle trying to push the other snakes head down. The winner will get to mate with the female which ensures that the strongest genes get passed down to the next generation of Cottonmouths. Harmless species of nonvenomous Watersnakes Nerodia form breeding balls and Garter snakes form breeding balls. Where many males will fertilize the females snakes.
@@TheWildlifeBrothers Whether seeing a cottonmouth breeding ball is a nightmare or fascinating depends a lot on you location when you see it. Seeing it while one is standing on the riverbank is one thing. Seeing it while you are taking a swim in the middle of the river is a different thing entirely. Another thing that may 'inspire' cottonmouths to 'stand their ground' is they don't more as fast as most other snakes. They tend to have bodies that are very thick in proportion to their length. Most breeds of snakes are track stars. Cottonmouths are power lifters.
Cottonmouths have 3 defensive tactics they will open their mouth exposing their white interior , vibrate their tails and emit a musk when people or predators get near them. Snakes are defensive not aggressive and don't want anything to do with humans. Unless you consider a 20+ ft Reticulated python eating a human which is rare. Cheers 😊
@@richardhincemon Cottonmouths are very territorial. They will 'attack' (make no effort to avoid an encounter) anything that enters their 'territory. They don't pursue on land but they will in water. I've encountered well over 100 cottonmouths over 50+ years. I have yet to see one 'vibrate' their short, stubby tail. Cottonmouths have a natural musky smell, not one they emit when they choose. This is from decades of personal experience with cottonmouths, not from what I've read in books. How did you obtain your 'knowledge'?
Thank you so much Rob! I know this was a long one, so it means more than you know to have your feedback and support. Hope it was enjoyable! I’m curious for any feedback from experienced herpers such as yourself.
Cottonmouths are a snake species which here in North Carolina, I’ve heard plenty of wild tales about. Such stories have a tendency to be wildly exaggerated, or even false altogether. Which is a shame, as these snakes truly don’t deserve the reputation they have. Good on y’all for clearing up some misconceptions about these beautiful animals! :)
The stories you hear about these guys are pretty wild, we’re happy to do what we can to clear some of this stuff up. Thank you so much for watching, we’re glad you enjoyed!
I don't know why people think they know the exact demographics of where any animal species resides. There's no way to tell just how far animals travel over time either purposely or otherwise. Those snakes could be dang near anywhere ... Just FYI
@@struggle-dad6715 I live in NC and was chased by a nest of Cottonmouths that were guarding their eggs. Three of the large females attacked and stole my bass boat with a world record bass in the cooler. I personally believe they are in Alaska now breeding and laying more eggs ! 😮 😂
My grandmother lived in Yazoo City, Mississippi and my father would take us fishing in Wolf Lake. We still own parts of it still. We had to walk there though the swamp that was littered with leaves and hundreds of shed skin. My cousin went waterskiing in the lake and was bitten by a Cotton Mouth. I still remember visiting her in the hospital.
I can imagine that there would be a lot of cottonmouths around the area, sounds like a cool place to grow up exploring. I hope your cousin was okay though! Thanks for watching.
Don't let these snakes fool you. Regardless of what the wildlife brothers say, these Cottonmouths will sneak into your house once you fall asleep and snatch every bit of change off your dresser drawer. Other than this scenario, very few people alive today could ever find themselves in a situation where killing a cotton mouth is beneficial in any way. It's a great way to get bit, though, so if you're really into that sort of thing, and have always dreamed about taking a bite from cotton mouth that's a good way of going about making that dream come true.
You’re spot on with this. Trying to kill or even touch a cottonmouth is the fastest way to take a bite, so if that’s your thing now you know. They’ll totally take your change, also. Thanks for watching!
Just discovered your wildlife channel, guys. Been fascinated with earth’s flora and fauna since a child, watching 16mm sound nature docs with 1930’s naturalist Frank Buck. My dad screened a pic called “The Jungle Marauder” when I was about 7, showing an Asian tiger in a fight to the death wrapped in the coils of a giant python. Also a fan of biologist Spencer Hoffman’s My Wild Backyard and Jack’s World of Wildlife. Best!
Thank you so much for checking out the channel! I hope you found some enjoyment from the video that’s similar to what those documentaries of your youth gave you. Spencer and Jack are good friends of ours, expect to see them both in lots of videos in the future!
@@TheWildlifeBrothersTo be fair, and using the Scientific Method? You, and basically every other herpetologist has observed their behavior on land, and not in the water! I’m not saying you are incorrect! But to study the behavior of a mainly aquatic creature on land does determine it’s aggressive or non-aggressive behavior accurately! For a more accurate study? Locate the animal the same you two did? Use your snake hook to throw it into the swamp? Dive in after it? And handle it in the same manner? I’m not saying the outcome would be any different, at all! But handling a cottonmouth outside of it’s main habitat, a creating a theory of it’s behavior! As a Human Being? You are in your main environment. And the cotton mouth is only in it’s temporary environment. This experiment would make an awesome Part 2 to this video! I suspect the outcome will be proven to be the same! But have you actually proved anything at all? Other than outside of there temporary environment…. They will generally leave you alone! As long as you leave them alone! Correct? 😘
I have encountered what I would call "aggression" by a snake once, in this case what I think was a black racer in Orange County, Virginia. My son was running out to put something into our backyard compost bin and jumped over what looked like a tree root. He turned around in mid-air and came back saying it was a snake. I saw immediately it was a racer: black top, white bottom edge, about 5 or 6 ft long, a bit larger than a ping pong ball in diameter. I turned a water hose on it and it came toward us, striking at the water stream. I turned the water off but it didn't turn around and head toward the woods at the back of our property, but instead kept coming forward three or four feet toward our kitchen door and not indicating it would stop. I bopped him with a broadside shovel blade, not a decapitation attempt but enough to knock it back a few feet. That gave him the message and headed into the woods with us walking about six feet to the side of it to make sure it got there. I don't know if it still felt threatened after the water hose. I didn't want to kill or injure it but neither did I want it coming into the house.
Black racers can be pretty inquisitive snakes, and they will occasionally approach human structures in search of food or shelter. Thankfully they are nonvenomous so they don’t pose a significant threat to people, but it’s understandable to not want one in your kitchen. Thanks for watching!
Oh, guys, the end of my 12 yo Cottonmouth story, - I actually was at a very safe level above it, and he only attacked my bait when i swung it byĵ him, -so, bc it was in low oxygenated water, probably starving, it ate my insect bait, and got hooked, oops! Luckily, i had no intention of getting bit myself, or catching him, so, i left him to figure out how to get off my hook, cut the line, and he split!
That’s something we’d love to talk about one day, just gotta get some footage of one! If it’s gonna happen, Louisiana might be the place. Thanks for watching!
Snakes have individual personalities, and you can't make blanket statements about living creatures when it comes to behavior. As a teenager, a friend and I were fishing in a johnboat. I stupidity used my paddle to slap a moccasin that surfaced next to the boat. That snake came into the boat three times trying to bite me, and almost succeeded the third time. Fortunately, the third time I flipped it out of the boat, it stared at me for a few seconds before slowly swimming away, and we were glad to let it swim away. Don't let anyone tell you that they are shy or won't attack you. Granted, I attacked first, but it had a choice to flee or fight, and it attacked 3 times before slowly swimming away. Bottom line, don't annoy any snake, and don't expect to be able to predict their behavior.
Did you have fish on board at the time? As we mention in this video, cottonmouths have been known to approach fishing boats thinking that they can scavenge an easy meal, as they have a good sense of smell and will readily eat carrion. You’re right that snakes can vary widely in personality like all animals, but I still wouldn’t define any cottonmouth behavior I’ve experienced or seen actually documented anywhere as aggressive, more defensive if anything. Thank you for watching.
Is it also possible that because humans are tall and cast shade, and they are warm (snakes need to thermoregulate, right?), they may be seeking a "shelter" near the human? Like, "let me hide under this big, warm thing"? Or does the heat signature pretty much 100% negate humans as possible shelter?
I think there are a lot of situations where a cottonmouth could look at human structures or even vehicles as potential shelter, but they’re not likely to approach an active human because they can tell from the heat signature and movement that they’re a living creature that is much larger than themself, and therefore likely a predator. Thanks for watching!
They may not chase you but they will attack you, I know that for a fact I have had them do it. So you don't know as much as you want people to thank you do.
Cottonmouths do have some defensive behaviors that can be misinterpreted as aggression, but as we explain in the video they don’t actively seek out conflict with people. Depending on the situation they might stand their ground, gape, or even strike if they feel like they have no other option, but they only do those things to defend their lives from active threats. They see us as predators after all, so their main priority in an encounter with a human is to escape, not attack. We appreciate you watching.
@TheWildlifeBrothers I wish you could have been their when it came swimming across the pond right at me and you would have saw for yourself how wrong you are. But I guess I was only dreaming it was coming at me. Thanks for your time.
@@HaroldWilliams-x1sas they stated if the snake was heading in a certain direction that’s why they will continue that way. Surely something so small is not going to waste its precious venom on something the size of a human. It’s wasteful for them.
I had an incident with a snake pursuing me. It only happened once and it was only for about twenty yards. But I did change directions to avoid it and it changed direction to follow me. I was moving away from it and away from the water that was it’s home. I am not certain about my identification of it as a moccasin because the grass obscured his head and he was moving fairly quickly for a chunky snake. I am not saying it is normal behavior, but it does happen sometimes.
Cottonmouths tend to be pretty sluggish except over very short distances in my experience, but you could definitely come across a more lively one somewhere. We talk about chasing behavior around the 17:00 mark, that might be able to clarify some things. Thanks for watching!
I’ve never seen any confirmed reports of cottonmouths making it to Maryland, the furthest north that they’ve been definitively observed on the east coast is southern Virginia. There are a bunch of similar looking species in Maryland though, as you mentioned water snakes particularly tend to trip people up. Thanks for watching!
I have witnessed a cottonmouth chasing my big brother. I also have known one to just come up and attack a human for sleeping near its den. The dude had passed out.
I believe that for the most part snakes want nothing to do with any humans and will avoid us when possible. However I also believe that like all other animals and humans that you can NOT expect every single cottonmouth to react exactly the same. I believe that it is possible that you may encounter one in a bad mood.
That’s a very good point. Cottonmouths are generally quick to get out of your way, but there’s always variation in how wild animals behave, and there are situations in which a snake could become defensive enough to take a strike at you or move quickly to get away. For that reason, giving them a little bit of space is always the best solution. Thanks for watching!
I've kept in captivity and interacted with Cottonmouths frequently in the past and can tell you that they are not the "demon snake" people make them out to be. In captivity, mine have been hardy / great feeders and mellow for the most part. In the Wild, I've never had one chase me; however, the Cottonmouths I've encountered in Florida-Louisiana & Texas will hold their ground and also curious of you if encountered in the water. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone.
We’ve observed the same thing with individuals we’ve worked with, they will hold their ground and rely on defensive displays but won’t outright attack humans. Thank you very much for watching!
Isnt that one of the biggest „problems“ with cottonmouths? That they rely on camouflage and dont move. So they do nothing until you are on them and then they bite because you are within inches from it. Or even step on them(?)
That habit of relying on camouflage is definitely one of their more dangerous habits for people, you really have to be aware when you’re in their habitat for that reason. They still don’t want conflict though, and just giving them their space is best. Thanks for watching!
@ okey i most likely will never be but they are very beautiful snakes and i like to learn about snakes not only from documentary’s but personal experience. Only had very few contact with venomous snakes and only with professionals. But i had lots of very amazing interactions with non venomous snakes😁
Lanceheads definitely get that reputation, that’s something we’re looking to test out next year. Cottonmouths can be defensive at times but you’re right, they warn you for a while. Chill snakes usually. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers yeah, I've seen videos of lanceheads literally lunging forward so hard in order to bite, they almost got off the ground with the entire body for a second. That's a psycho snake for real. 🤯
I got one of them to get his ass caught on my fishing line when I was 12 years old, - And I know factually that it was a RARE SNAKE UP IN MASSACHUSETTS. It was in 1976! The iconic " Cottonmouth," the "Pit sensor organ on the front of the large, angular head, - the fangs & thick body, was scary as heck on my hook below the dried up river dam! (I understand this is rare as anything, because their normal range is 800 miles south of here, it was astonishing, but, its just the same as the unbelievable, molted, 10 foot Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake later found by a herpetologist in Southern Maine!! That was insane!
A cottonmouth in Massachusetts would be incredible, I’ve never heard reports myself but I do know a bunch of keepers up there who work with them. A diamondback that size would be amazing as well. Thanks for watching!
Here is you a quick story... When I was about ten, I walked to the local store about a mile from my house. It was a pretty rural area about 50 years ago. I saw several pieces of carpet in a ditch and decided to flip them over looking for worms for a fishing trip. What I found was a blasted snake nursery! Cool ! Looking back, STUPID ! Because I just started grabbing them and putting them in an empty paint bucket. I got back home and was showing them to my neighbor. He was older and had an immediate cow over the contents of my bucket. I started to dump them out and the cow he had grew up...DONT LET THOSE OUT HERE ! in a more startling tone. Get rid of them ! meaning take care of them with the little hatchet I had. I did and have honestly felt bad about that every since. I was fishing with another friend just outside of Newnan Georgia back in the early 80s. We were in a swamp with a couple of other friends in their 10 foot aluminum boat. And our 12 foot. Well Floyd lifted up a pine limb that was over hanging the water to go under it in their boat. A HUGE Mocassin dropped in their boat. Chaos ensued and a moment later, Bobby shot the snake....in the boat. We pulled along side in our boat to Rescue Survivors of the battle. And as far as I remember, Bobby's boat sank right there.
Finding a nest of snakes is cool if you ask me, it’s a shame your neighbor didn’t feel the same way. It sounds like that cottonmouth gave your group quite a scare, though if they had spared the snake’s life perhaps they wouldn’t have lost their boat.
We haven’t visited Louisiana specifically in the spring, but we’ve worked with many cottonmouths in other areas during that season and haven’t encountered any abnormally aggressive behavior. However, cottonmouths breed in the spring (between April and May), so they do tend to be more active and territorial during that period. Thanks for watching!
They said a rattlesnake couldn't survive in high altitudes I was surveying in Parachute Colorado and came to the ledge under the top of the mountain and saw a 5 or 6 footer and told the biologist marked it on my map and proved them wrong they was surprised
There are some rattlesnakes out there who are remarkably altitude tolerant, some of the montane species out west are among our biggest reptile targets in the U.S. Thanks for watching!
You’re not wrong, cottonmouths will sometimes musk when agitated so the smell can clue you in if you get too close to where one is hanging out. Thanks for watching!
Cottonmouths in MO, WILL come after you. I've had it happen several times while fishing at a lake, in a boat, and on the shore, and they were verified to be Cottonmouth Water Moccasins every time.
We actually talk about why cottonmouths have been known to approach people who are fishing, it’s for quite a different reason than you might expect. Check out the latter part of the video around 16:47 to hear why cottonmouths will sometimes move towards people, later on in that segment we get to the fishing stuff. Thanks for watching.
@@TheWildlifeBrothers With their heads raised up, mouths gaping open, trying to get in the boat... to me, that's an attack. You take it however you wish, I'm going to err on the side of caution.
We have a few cotton mouths in south east Ky. As much as I wanna be like, “Yeah nah, snake dude knows more than me and it’s mistaken” it turned to look at me and showed me the white mouth. Chase people, probably not but they show up outside of range sometimes
Southern Kentucky is definitely part of their range, it’s shown on the map that we display in the video but we didn’t mention the state by name. You’re right though, down in the southwest corner cottonmouths show up. Thanks for watching!
@@TheWildlifeBrothers I might be a little bit colorblind, in my defense XD It's a little hard for me to see where exactly their range ends. I used to live over in the south-east Kentucky and we'd find them in the creeks there. Though I think we also call them Water Moccasins. Not sure if they're the same thing.
The snake came out from under a root ball on a pond bank. And it made a point to come directly at me because I was a child walking behind an adult. But I guess I'm just making it up so see all y'all experts in the funny papers.
I encourage you to watch the whole video to see if our explanations and demonstrations of real cottonmouth behavior provide any insight into this experience. I can tell you one thing with certainty, no snake has ever been observed selectively attacking young people unless it was a 15+ ft python trying to eat them. “Aggressive attacks” by vipers on people are almost always cases of misinterpreting their behavior, even if the animal was moving in your direction. Check out the latter half of the video and you can let us know what you think. Thanks for watching.
There are two rules to snake club! Rule #1 - You don’t mess with cottonmouths! Rule #2 - YOU DO NOT MESS WITH COOTENMOUTHS! ( Still waiting for a part 2 to this video! When you dive into a swamp with one! And scientifically prove that they behave the same in the swamp, just as they behave on the land? It would make for an awesome video, and prove your theory even further! 👍)
That’s very good advice, leaving them alone is the best way to 100% guarantee that you never take a bite from a cottonmouth. We’ll definitely be covering cottonmouths again soon, we have several plans for videos we want to shoot with them. Thanks for watching!
@ If you prove your theory of them being as docile as you claim, which I 80% agree with! That would be an epic scientific experiment! I wouldn’t suggest doing it! There are myths and legends that exist! But I’ve never heard of a Cottonmouth chasing anyone on land! But there are plenty of stories about them chasing you in the water! I know if I see one on land? I’ll just avoid it! But in water? I’ll swim away like my life depends upon it! It would be very interesting to see you two prove that this is a myth! But they seem to more aggressive in the water, than on land! I agree that personal experiences, and stories do not prove anything! But it would be nice to see an actual study while confronting them in the water! 😘
I have had one chase/ come straight for me! Twice! the second time was AFTER I threw a coil of rope at it. I wonder if you have ever encountered one during mating season? It should be noted the other 2 times encountering one it ran.
It’s not unheard of to have cottonmouths move towards a person, but like we explain in the video it’s almost always because they’re either trying to get into habitat that’s between you and them or they’re interested in some sort of food source that’s close by to you. We haven’t observed cottonmouth mating yet, but if we ever got the chance to film it that would be amazing. Thank you for watching!
It’s conceivable that a cottonmouth could be attracted to a fire at night because it’s a large heat source, but they would still not be approaching it with aggressive intentions. We talk about the chasing myth later in the video, check out 17:00 for the full explanation. Thanks for watching!
I have seen them just a little north of Atlanta Ga. Thats about as far north. My nemesis is freaking copperheads. And these little rattlesnakes ? Not sure what species they are. Little bitty rascals with only a couple of beads. Maybe Timber rattlers but smaller.
You definitely have to be vigilant with copperheads, though I think they’re really cool snakes when you get to know them. The rattlesnakes you’re seeing could be pygmy rattlesnakes, or possibly juvenile timbers. Thanks for watching!
It’s true that there have been cottonmouths reported from southern Kentucky, and though we don’t state it explicitly in the video it is represented on the range map we included. Thanks for watching.
Aggressive defensiveness AKA the FAFO snake. It is true that cottonmouth is not aggressive. Drunk males 18-25 are more dangerous because of they have not outgrown their stupidity inflamed with alcohol.
Very good point, so many of the negative encounters that occur with venomous snakes have alcohol involved, unfortunately. Cottonmouths have always been timid in our experience, cool snakes. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers You are so wrong. 54 years old. When I was a kid we played in old blackwater ponds deep in the woods. THEY CHASE YOU! When I was in my 30s I would take my family fishing on foot hiking in the creek for two weeks at a time sometimes. THEY CHASE YOU regularly. About 8 years ago I worked on a lake in maintenance for the US Army Corp of Engineers. THEY CHASE YOU. Stop trying to teach people from what you have read on the internet. You're going to get someone hurt.
What did that chasing behavior look like? I don’t doubt that a cottonmouth moved towards you, but check out around the 16 minute mark in this video to get more explanation about what was probably going on. We didn’t learn this stuff on the internet, we learned it through years of finding, catching, and filming cottonmouths and thousands of other snakes in the wild. We say consistently in this video to give these snakes their space and provide detailed explanations of how they behave and how people should behave around them, that is not the messaging that will lead to anyone getting hurt if they listen to it.
@TheWildlifeBrothers No one who knows anything about snakes is going to waste their time watching it. No way you have the experience with snakes you say you do. However it's possible the snakes on your side of the planet act differently. But just know all pit viper water snakes will chase you and approach you for any reason in the southern USA. You're not even old enough to have the experience you claim to have
We have plenty of experienced herpers and snake keepers in our audience, but that’s beside the point. Several years of our most active in field experience and training are publicly available on TH-cam, including many instances of working with pit vipers and water snakes in the southern US, none of which have ever chased us on or off camera. 24 isn’t young if you work hard from a young age.
As a Brit, if I was visiting USA I would be very cautious at handling any snake. Even though I’ve watched countless hours of herping and wildlife videos and think I would be able to distinguish the species, I would much prefer to admire then find out the hard way I was wrong. 😂
That’s a perfect attitude to have, it essentially guarantees that you’ll never be on the receiving end of a snake bite (barring a freak accident). Thank you so much for watching, as always your support means the world to us!
Cottonmouths are relatively docile and calm snakes. Cottonmouths do not chase humans and they aren't aggressive at all. People should not pick them up at all. However there's no Cottonmouths that have chased humans.
That’s been our experience as well. Leave them alone and they’ll want nothing to do with you, and I have yet to see a verified report of chasing behavior that can be properly quantified as an aggressive attack. Mostly just misunderstandings of their attempts to flee or get a meal. Thanks for watching!
BOOOOM!!!!, BANG, BANG, Bang!!!! Have seen in Pennsylvania years ago outside Philadelphia... About 50 plus years ago I made a good living trapping outside Philly near Holmes Berg prison. now 71 we got a few hundred dollars a year in the 1960 was BIG Bucks'...got muskrats, racoon and a few under 10 minks,
Being from the Philly area, I wish we still had the abundance of mammals that used to exist in this region. You can still see those species in some places, but they’re much rarer these days. Thanks for watching!
They may move in your direction, but they’re not trying to hurt you, just scare you off or get past you without any interest in you at all. They’re quick to get out of your way, in our experience. Thanks for watching.
That map is a lie...im 50 miles Northwest of ST Louis Missouri and i can show you a video of 3 of them i caught out of one pond 2 miles from my house...they are much further north than that map gives credit....they obviously didn't really survey much
There don’t appear to be any records of cottonmouths north of the Missouri River in MO, but you make a good point that the region may not be extensively surveyed. It’s definitely possible that some individuals have moved north, though that’s likely a rare occurrence. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers i'm telling you, bro. In Lincoln County, Missouri, Warren County, Missouri St. Charles county, Missouri up to Pike County, Missouri. There are not just rare occurrences, but extensive breeding populations. I will put some on my arrowhead hunting channel. Just for you. Point N' Poles on yt
We haven’t worked with Mojaves in the wild yet, but we’ve worked with several other rattlesnakes in the field and in captivity, and we’ve always found them to be quick to get out of your way. I think it’s likely that the mojaves looked like they were chasing you for similar reasons that cottonmouths seem to, there’s more going on there. We’ll have to find out for ourselves one day soon.
@@mattmc9812 they don't chase my man. I could cite many different studies and papers that will explain to you, but I think you should do some more research. This type of talk is the kind of stuff that brings fear into people and ends up eradicating species. Snakes are not out to hurt People. quit spreading misinformation
I have been chased by a cottonmouth after gigging a frog on my boat and i have had them uncoil and come near me while in the swamp. Either situation is scary as hell. If your calm it wont do anything but i cant let one come into my boat.best thing to do is throw your frog gig away if it comes for it.
Yeah, but like they explained in the video, it wasn't really coming for _you._ All it saw was an easy meal (the frog), thought it was gonna have a good dinner. But, yeah, I can certainly see how that would be startling.
It can definitely be intimidating when a cottonmouth comes towards you, but in this case it sounds like it really wanted your frog. You’re right, if you stay calm the snake isn’t likely to do anything at all, I’m glad you made it away from that encounter unscathed. Thanks for watching!
Nuh uh one time I was out with my grandpappy and a cottonmouth flew 7 feet at me, took my hat clean off my head. Looked down and my wallet was gone too and never saw the snake again. Guess that’s just life in moccasin country though 🤷♂️
Lol, thanks for the genuine laugh. That's a good tale.
Can confirm, that was actually me in a cottonmouth costume. Thanks for making this video possible Zach!
😂😂
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And I saw one laying in the road. When I got out to see if it was dead it quickly slithered to my car, into the seat and stole my car. My fault for leaving it running I guess.
I really don't understand why your channel isn't booming. Great information, great footage, cute hosts (is that how you like to be referred to?), and plenty of videos for lots of additional content. This channel should be going bonkers! Still watching and trying to do my part to make the algorithm work for you. Best wishes to you both, always! Stay safe out there!!
Thank you so much, that seriously means the world! Support like this is what keeps us going and makes all of this worth it, and we’ll keep working so we can get some real growth going. Really glad you enjoyed the video, this was a fun one to put together.
Loved this video! You do a great job teaching about wildlife! Looking forward to seeing your next video!🐍
Thank you so much, we’re really glad you enjoyed!
My father, brother and I were aggressively chased off a small island in a large Creek in SE Missouri by a cottonmouth that started its waterborne charge on us from over 25 yards away with no provocation whatseover. They are extremely aggressive snakes. We also had copperheads all over the place -- including under our front porch -- and never had an issue with one. I would encourage you to go into the water and pull that same path-blocking stunt on one. They may behave differently in the woods (I've personally never encountered one there), but the water is another story. Most of the people in the area were extremely wary of them and would leave the water if they spotted one anywhere in the vicinity.
It’s always best to give cottonmouths a wide berth, but having spent time with cottonmouths in the water, I haven’t noticed any more defensiveness from them in that environment. I do find that they’re usually confident enough to move towards you in the water, so that could have contributed to the behavior you saw. Thanks for watching.
Don't know where they get off saying that a Cottonmouth won't chase you. To hell they won't. We had to fight off a Cottonmouth that was chasing my brother in the lake. They DO chase people.
I encourage you to watch the whole video and see if our demonstrations give you any new insight in their behavior. Almost all cases of “chasing” come down to misinterpretations of their actual behavior, which we discuss at length in the latter half of this video. There’s no benefit to a snake like a cottonmouth chasing a predator with the intent to bite, because their bite would not be successful in defending their own life if the predator decided to retaliate in any way - the venom could not take effect fast enough. Even if the snake was moving in your direction, there’s something else going on. Check out the chasing segment at 16:47 for more details on this.
@@TheWildlifeBrothersyou may not think it's logical, but it happens.
@@TheWildlifeBrothers You are so wrong. 54 years old. When I was a kid we played in old blackwater ponds deep in the woods. THEY CHASE YOU!
When I was in my 30s I would take my family fishing on foot hiking in the creek for two weeks at a time sometimes. THEY CHASE YOU regularly. About 8 years ago I worked on a lake in maintenance for the US Army Corp of Engineers. THEY CHASE YOU. Stop trying to teach people from what you have read on the internet. You're going to get someone hurt.
Had one in captivity years ago. Found him crossing the road in early November - very sluggish. Discovered hours thereafter he had a head injury, when he bled profusely when he clamped down on a pencil I inserted crosswise in his mouth to show his fangs to my friends. Put tetracycline in his water and left him quietly alone. Early spring: he had become one of the most docile snakes I've ever held captive (I've had hundreds). Later spring: took him into the backyard to crawl free and get some sun. Finally acted like the stereotypical cottonmouth - whipped around, coiled and gave me the open-mouth threat posture. Within two hours, he was released into a swamp about 40 miles from my home. Just a wild animal doing what he does - no threat to me or anybody else, just wants to live and be left alone. Have had some harmless water snakes literally throw themselves toward me - not "attacking" or "chasing," just a poor panicked critter trying to get away from the huge monster they were facing.
It was very kind of you to rehabilitate the cottonmouth that you found, I’m glad to hear that he made a successful recovery! You’re absolutely right about their temperament too, they’re much calmer and more discerning animals than they get credit for. Thank you so much for watching!
Here in America we measure distance in feet ,inches yards and miles .. NOT METERS
We usually present our measurements in metric because that is the system that is used in science, and by most of the world. We’ll always have conversions on screen for actual numbers we present, but even in this video we switch a bit between presenting with customary or metric. Hope the video was enjoyable anyway! Thanks for watching.
Cottonmouths are not aggressive, but they are extremely territorial. If you enter their territory whether deliberately or accidentally, they will do whatever they believe necessary to 'inspire' you to leave.
I have had numerous encounters with cottonmouths in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas for 50+ years. I have never had one make any attempt to avoid a confrontation. One time my dad, my uncle and I were squirrel hunting, going down a dried up Texas creek bed. We encountered ten cottonmouths. Not a one of them made any effort to avoid a confrontation. When they saw us coming, they just rared up and waited for us.
That plain-bellied water snake looks as much like a cottonmouth as a bullfrog does. Cottonmouths have a very thick body, very heavy in proportion to their length and their bellies are a dull white or cream colored. Of the hundreds of cottonmouths I have encountered in the woods, along creek beds, in outhouses, in yards or in zoos, all have been a variety of grey with not a hint of green. However, I don't believe I have every encountered the Florida variety.
Cottonmouths also have a strong, musky odor; so strong it is not unusual to smell them before you see them.
During mating season, cottonmouths gather in creeks or rivers in huge balls containing numerous snakes. If you are in the water and encounter one of these balls of snakes, your chances of survival are not good. I have seen these balls of snakes on at least three occasions. Fortunately, I observed them from the bank.
You’re right that cottonmouths are more inclined to hold their ground than other vipers, and especially in a tighter space with few escape options like a dry creek bed they’re likely to rely on defensive displays rather than flee immediately. I don’t disagree that plain-bellied water snakes and cottonmouths look quite different to a trained eye, but for those who are unfamiliar it’s relatively easy to get them confused. Seeing a cottonmouth breeding ball is probably a nightmare for most people, though of course I find them fascinating and would love to film one someday. Thank you very much for watching!
Cottonmouths Agkistrodon picivorous don't form breeding balls they complete for females in combat rituals where the males will wrestle trying to push the other snakes head down. The winner will get to mate with the female which ensures that the strongest genes get passed down to the next generation of Cottonmouths. Harmless species of nonvenomous Watersnakes Nerodia form breeding balls and Garter snakes form breeding balls. Where many males will fertilize the females snakes.
@@TheWildlifeBrothers Whether seeing a cottonmouth breeding ball is a nightmare or fascinating depends a lot on you location when you see it. Seeing it while one is standing on the riverbank is one thing. Seeing it while you are taking a swim in the middle of the river is a different thing entirely.
Another thing that may 'inspire' cottonmouths to 'stand their ground' is they don't more as fast as most other snakes. They tend to have bodies that are very thick in proportion to their length.
Most breeds of snakes are track stars. Cottonmouths are power lifters.
Cottonmouths have 3 defensive tactics they will open their mouth exposing their white interior , vibrate their tails and emit a musk when people or predators get near them. Snakes are defensive not aggressive and don't want anything to do with humans. Unless you consider a 20+ ft Reticulated python eating a human which is rare. Cheers 😊
@@richardhincemon Cottonmouths are very territorial. They will 'attack' (make no effort to avoid an encounter) anything that enters their 'territory. They don't pursue on land but they will in water. I've encountered well over 100 cottonmouths over 50+ years. I have yet to see one 'vibrate' their short, stubby tail.
Cottonmouths have a natural musky smell, not one they emit when they choose.
This is from decades of personal experience with cottonmouths, not from what I've read in books.
How did you obtain your 'knowledge'?
6:44
Thank you so much Rob! I know this was a long one, so it means more than you know to have your feedback and support. Hope it was enjoyable! I’m curious for any feedback from experienced herpers such as yourself.
Cottonmouths are a snake species which here in North Carolina, I’ve heard plenty of wild tales about. Such stories have a tendency to be wildly exaggerated, or even false altogether. Which is a shame, as these snakes truly don’t deserve the reputation they have. Good on y’all for clearing up some misconceptions about these beautiful animals! :)
The stories you hear about these guys are pretty wild, we’re happy to do what we can to clear some of this stuff up. Thank you so much for watching, we’re glad you enjoyed!
I don't know why people think they know the exact demographics of where any animal species resides. There's no way to tell just how far animals travel over time either purposely or otherwise. Those snakes could be dang near anywhere
... Just FYI
@@struggle-dad6715 I live in NC and was chased by a nest of Cottonmouths that were guarding their eggs. Three of the large females attacked and stole my bass boat with a world record bass in the cooler. I personally believe they are in Alaska now breeding and laying more eggs ! 😮 😂
Love this as usual
We appreciate your support as always brother!
Amazing Video! I subscribed immediately after watching this video.
Thank you so much, we’re so glad you enjoyed! Lots more reptile content coming soon.
My grandmother lived in Yazoo City, Mississippi and my father would take us fishing in Wolf Lake. We still own parts of it still. We had to walk there though the swamp that was littered with leaves and hundreds of shed skin.
My cousin went waterskiing in the lake and was bitten by a Cotton Mouth. I still remember visiting her in the hospital.
I can imagine that there would be a lot of cottonmouths around the area, sounds like a cool place to grow up exploring. I hope your cousin was okay though! Thanks for watching.
Yeah, she got better. This happened about 1957.
as a guy out of shape, seeing snake beathe/puff up puff down... i feel that
It’s a universal feeling in some ways. That guy was quite nervous, and the puffing really gives it away. Thanks for watching!
I will definitely stay away from this and all snakes! No worries there!!!
Seriously, interesting video.
Thank you so much Grandma, we’re glad you enjoyed it!
Ooooooo thanks for the upload
Thank you so much for everything, your support means the world!
Don't let these snakes fool you. Regardless of what the wildlife brothers say, these Cottonmouths will sneak into your house once you fall asleep and snatch every bit of change off your dresser drawer. Other than this scenario, very few people alive today could ever find themselves in a situation where killing a cotton mouth is beneficial in any way. It's a great way to get bit, though, so if you're really into that sort of thing, and have always dreamed about taking a bite from cotton mouth that's a good way of going about making that dream come true.
You’re spot on with this. Trying to kill or even touch a cottonmouth is the fastest way to take a bite, so if that’s your thing now you know. They’ll totally take your change, also. Thanks for watching!
Just discovered your wildlife channel, guys. Been fascinated with earth’s flora and fauna since a child, watching 16mm sound nature docs with 1930’s naturalist Frank Buck. My dad screened a pic called “The Jungle Marauder” when I was about 7, showing an Asian tiger in a fight to the death wrapped in the coils of a giant python. Also a fan of biologist Spencer Hoffman’s My Wild Backyard and Jack’s World of Wildlife. Best!
Thank you so much for checking out the channel! I hope you found some enjoyment from the video that’s similar to what those documentaries of your youth gave you. Spencer and Jack are good friends of ours, expect to see them both in lots of videos in the future!
@@TheWildlifeBrothers thanks, guys!
10:56 no he was definitely chasing you 😂😂
Yup you’re right, I guess they’re aggressive monsters after all 😂
@@TheWildlifeBrothersTo be fair, and using the Scientific Method? You, and basically every other herpetologist has observed their behavior on land, and not in the water! I’m not saying you are incorrect! But to study the behavior of a mainly aquatic creature on land does determine it’s aggressive or non-aggressive behavior accurately! For a more accurate study? Locate the animal the same you two did? Use your snake hook to throw it into the swamp? Dive in after it? And handle it in the same manner? I’m not saying the outcome would be any different, at all! But handling a cottonmouth outside of it’s main habitat, a creating a theory of it’s behavior! As a Human Being? You are in your main environment. And the cotton mouth is only in it’s temporary environment. This experiment would make an awesome Part 2 to this video! I suspect the outcome will be proven to be the same! But have you actually proved anything at all? Other than outside of there temporary environment…. They will generally leave you alone! As long as you leave them alone! Correct? 😘
Blessing my feed fr chat
We try, glad you liked it!
I have encountered what I would call "aggression" by a snake once, in this case what I think was a black racer in Orange County, Virginia. My son was running out to put something into our backyard compost bin and jumped over what looked like a tree root. He turned around in mid-air and came back saying it was a snake. I saw immediately it was a racer: black top, white bottom edge, about 5 or 6 ft long, a bit larger than a ping pong ball in diameter. I turned a water hose on it and it came toward us, striking at the water stream. I turned the water off but it didn't turn around and head toward the woods at the back of our property, but instead kept coming forward three or four feet toward our kitchen door and not indicating it would stop. I bopped him with a broadside shovel blade, not a decapitation attempt but enough to knock it back a few feet. That gave him the message and headed into the woods with us walking about six feet to the side of it to make sure it got there. I don't know if it still felt threatened after the water hose. I didn't want to kill or injure it but neither did I want it coming into the house.
Black racers can be pretty inquisitive snakes, and they will occasionally approach human structures in search of food or shelter. Thankfully they are nonvenomous so they don’t pose a significant threat to people, but it’s understandable to not want one in your kitchen. Thanks for watching!
Oh, guys, the end of my 12 yo Cottonmouth story, - I actually was at a very safe level above it, and he only attacked my bait when i swung it byĵ him, -so, bc it was in low oxygenated water, probably starving, it ate my insect bait, and got hooked, oops! Luckily, i had no intention of getting bit myself, or catching him, so, i left him to figure out how to get off my hook, cut the line, and he split!
Sounds like the best course of action, it’s unfortunate that it got itself hooked but they’re resilient animals. Hope you enjoyed the video!
You forgot to mention that cottonmouths and copperheads create hybrids. Cottonheads.
That’s something we’d love to talk about one day, just gotta get some footage of one! If it’s gonna happen, Louisiana might be the place. Thanks for watching!
Insane video I watched all of this with popcorn😊
Grilled cheese with tomato soup for me!
You’re the best, thank you so much for the support!
@@TheWildlifeBrothers u the reason I got into animals a bit not much but a bit night night Dallas 😴
Snakes have individual personalities, and you can't make blanket statements about living creatures when it comes to behavior. As a teenager, a friend and I were fishing in a johnboat. I stupidity used my paddle to slap a moccasin that surfaced next to the boat. That snake came into the boat three times trying to bite me, and almost succeeded the third time. Fortunately, the third time I flipped it out of the boat, it stared at me for a few seconds before slowly swimming away, and we were glad to let it swim away. Don't let anyone tell you that they are shy or won't attack you. Granted, I attacked first, but it had a choice to flee or fight, and it attacked 3 times before slowly swimming away. Bottom line, don't annoy any snake, and don't expect to be able to predict their behavior.
Did you have fish on board at the time? As we mention in this video, cottonmouths have been known to approach fishing boats thinking that they can scavenge an easy meal, as they have a good sense of smell and will readily eat carrion. You’re right that snakes can vary widely in personality like all animals, but I still wouldn’t define any cottonmouth behavior I’ve experienced or seen actually documented anywhere as aggressive, more defensive if anything. Thank you for watching.
Is it also possible that because humans are tall and cast shade, and they are warm (snakes need to thermoregulate, right?), they may be seeking a "shelter" near the human? Like, "let me hide under this big, warm thing"? Or does the heat signature pretty much 100% negate humans as possible shelter?
I think there are a lot of situations where a cottonmouth could look at human structures or even vehicles as potential shelter, but they’re not likely to approach an active human because they can tell from the heat signature and movement that they’re a living creature that is much larger than themself, and therefore likely a predator. Thanks for watching!
They may not chase you but they will attack you, I know that for a fact I have had them do it. So you don't know as much as you want people to thank you do.
Cottonmouths do have some defensive behaviors that can be misinterpreted as aggression, but as we explain in the video they don’t actively seek out conflict with people. Depending on the situation they might stand their ground, gape, or even strike if they feel like they have no other option, but they only do those things to defend their lives from active threats. They see us as predators after all, so their main priority in an encounter with a human is to escape, not attack. We appreciate you watching.
@TheWildlifeBrothers I wish you could have been their when it came swimming across the pond right at me and you would have saw for yourself how wrong you are. But I guess I was only dreaming it was coming at me. Thanks for your time.
@@HaroldWilliams-x1sas they stated if the snake was heading in a certain direction that’s why they will continue that way. Surely something so small is not going to waste its precious venom on something the size of a human. It’s wasteful for them.
@@ThePollatonno, it's one of the reasons for having venom..defense
@@kenneth9874 defence not attack
I had an incident with a snake pursuing me. It only happened once and it was only for about twenty yards. But I did change directions to avoid it and it changed direction to follow me. I was moving away from it and away from the water that was it’s home. I am not certain about my identification of it as a moccasin because the grass obscured his head and he was moving fairly quickly for a chunky snake. I am not saying it is normal behavior, but it does happen sometimes.
Cottonmouths tend to be pretty sluggish except over very short distances in my experience, but you could definitely come across a more lively one somewhere. We talk about chasing behavior around the 17:00 mark, that might be able to clarify some things. Thanks for watching!
Any chance you live in an area with Black Rat Snakes? They will chase you down...also some water snakes will as well
Up here in Maryland we got cotton mouths,and yes they love swamps but mostly northern water snake
I’ve never seen any confirmed reports of cottonmouths making it to Maryland, the furthest north that they’ve been definitively observed on the east coast is southern Virginia. There are a bunch of similar looking species in Maryland though, as you mentioned water snakes particularly tend to trip people up. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers thank you bro it's just I guess people do mix them up, including myself
Won't go far wrong with Zack he knows his onion's LOL nice video guys educational and enjoyable thanks for that, looking forward to your next upload
Zach is an absolute legend, getting to work with him is always a pleasure and an honor. Thank you so much for watching, we’re very glad you enjoyed!
I have witnessed a cottonmouth chasing my big brother. I also have known one to just come up and attack a human for sleeping near its den. The dude had passed out.
We talk about that later in the video, check out 17:00 for the explanation of why cottonmouths sometimes approach people. Thanks for watching!
I believe that for the most part snakes want nothing to do with any humans and will avoid us when possible. However I also believe that like all other animals and humans that you can NOT expect every single cottonmouth to react exactly the same. I believe that it is possible that you may encounter one in a bad mood.
That’s a very good point. Cottonmouths are generally quick to get out of your way, but there’s always variation in how wild animals behave, and there are situations in which a snake could become defensive enough to take a strike at you or move quickly to get away. For that reason, giving them a little bit of space is always the best solution. Thanks for watching!
I've kept in captivity and interacted with Cottonmouths frequently in the past and can tell you that they are not the "demon snake" people make them out to be.
In captivity, mine have been hardy / great feeders and mellow for the most part. In the Wild, I've never had one chase me; however, the Cottonmouths I've encountered in Florida-Louisiana & Texas will hold their ground and also curious of you if encountered in the water.
Leave them alone and they will leave you alone.
We’ve observed the same thing with individuals we’ve worked with, they will hold their ground and rely on defensive displays but won’t outright attack humans. Thank you very much for watching!
Isnt that one of the biggest „problems“ with cottonmouths? That they rely on camouflage and dont move. So they do nothing until you are on them and then they bite because you are within inches from it. Or even step on them(?)
That habit of relying on camouflage is definitely one of their more dangerous habits for people, you really have to be aware when you’re in their habitat for that reason. They still don’t want conflict though, and just giving them their space is best. Thanks for watching!
@ okey i most likely will never be but they are very beautiful snakes and i like to learn about snakes not only from documentary’s but personal experience. Only had very few contact with venomous snakes and only with professionals. But i had lots of very amazing interactions with non venomous snakes😁
To me the lancehead has always seemed more aggressive. The cottonmouth looks more on the defensive, and it warns you for longer.
Lanceheads definitely get that reputation, that’s something we’re looking to test out next year. Cottonmouths can be defensive at times but you’re right, they warn you for a while. Chill snakes usually. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers yeah, I've seen videos of lanceheads literally lunging forward so hard in order to bite, they almost got off the ground with the entire body for a second. That's a psycho snake for real. 🤯
I got one of them to get his ass caught on my fishing line when I was 12 years old, - And I know factually that it was a RARE SNAKE UP IN MASSACHUSETTS. It was in 1976! The iconic " Cottonmouth," the "Pit sensor organ on the front of the large, angular head, - the fangs & thick body, was scary as heck on my hook below the dried up river dam! (I understand this is rare as anything, because their normal range is 800 miles south of here, it was astonishing, but, its just the same as the unbelievable, molted, 10 foot Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake later found by a herpetologist in Southern Maine!! That was insane!
A cottonmouth in Massachusetts would be incredible, I’ve never heard reports myself but I do know a bunch of keepers up there who work with them. A diamondback that size would be amazing as well. Thanks for watching!
I much prefer eels. Great vid though, guys!
Very fair, eels are fascinating and we need to do a video about them again soon. Thanks for watching!
Here is you a quick story... When I was about ten, I walked to the local store about a mile from my house. It was a pretty rural area about 50 years ago. I saw several pieces of carpet in a ditch and decided to flip them over looking for worms for a fishing trip. What I found was a blasted snake nursery! Cool ! Looking back, STUPID ! Because I just started grabbing them and putting them in an empty paint bucket. I got back home and was showing them to my neighbor. He was older and had an immediate cow over the contents of my bucket. I started to dump them out and the cow he had grew up...DONT LET THOSE OUT HERE ! in a more startling tone. Get rid of them ! meaning take care of them with the little hatchet I had. I did and have honestly felt bad about that every since. I was fishing with another friend just outside of Newnan Georgia back in the early 80s. We were in a swamp with a couple of other friends in their 10 foot aluminum boat. And our 12 foot. Well Floyd lifted up a pine limb that was over hanging the water to go under it in their boat. A HUGE Mocassin dropped in their boat. Chaos ensued and a moment later, Bobby shot the snake....in the boat. We pulled along side in our boat to Rescue Survivors of the battle. And as far as I remember, Bobby's boat sank right there.
Finding a nest of snakes is cool if you ask me, it’s a shame your neighbor didn’t feel the same way. It sounds like that cottonmouth gave your group quite a scare, though if they had spared the snake’s life perhaps they wouldn’t have lost their boat.
Old hwy 11 in Honey Island it seems . Mr.Slithers aka Swamp Boss ( moccasin ) are everywhere back in that swamp .
It’s an amazing area to explore, the density of reptiles back there is incredibly impressive. Thanks for watching!
You obviously have never spent time in the swamps of Louisiana in the spring. Cotton mouths are extremely aggressive at certain times of the year.
We haven’t visited Louisiana specifically in the spring, but we’ve worked with many cottonmouths in other areas during that season and haven’t encountered any abnormally aggressive behavior. However, cottonmouths breed in the spring (between April and May), so they do tend to be more active and territorial during that period. Thanks for watching!
They said a rattlesnake couldn't survive in high altitudes I was surveying in Parachute Colorado and came to the ledge under the top of the mountain and saw a 5 or 6 footer and told the biologist marked it on my map and proved them wrong they was surprised
There are some rattlesnakes out there who are remarkably altitude tolerant, some of the montane species out west are among our biggest reptile targets in the U.S. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers your welcome keep em coming you guys are doing a Great job 💪
Often you'll smell one before you see it
You’re not wrong, cottonmouths will sometimes musk when agitated so the smell can clue you in if you get too close to where one is hanging out. Thanks for watching!
Cottonmouths in MO, WILL come after you. I've had it happen several times while fishing at a lake, in a boat, and on the shore, and they were verified to be Cottonmouth Water Moccasins every time.
We actually talk about why cottonmouths have been known to approach people who are fishing, it’s for quite a different reason than you might expect. Check out the latter part of the video around 16:47 to hear why cottonmouths will sometimes move towards people, later on in that segment we get to the fishing stuff. Thanks for watching.
@@TheWildlifeBrothers With their heads raised up, mouths gaping open, trying to get in the boat... to me, that's an attack. You take it however you wish, I'm going to err on the side of caution.
We have a few cotton mouths in south east Ky. As much as I wanna be like, “Yeah nah, snake dude knows more than me and it’s mistaken” it turned to look at me and showed me the white mouth. Chase people, probably not but they show up outside of range sometimes
Southern Kentucky is definitely part of their range, it’s shown on the map that we display in the video but we didn’t mention the state by name. You’re right though, down in the southwest corner cottonmouths show up. Thanks for watching!
@@TheWildlifeBrothers I might be a little bit colorblind, in my defense XD It's a little hard for me to see where exactly their range ends. I used to live over in the south-east Kentucky and we'd find them in the creeks there. Though I think we also call them Water Moccasins. Not sure if they're the same thing.
We have cottonmouths in Oklahoma
You do indeed, hopefully we’ll find one there some day. Thanks for watching!
The snake came out from under a root ball on a pond bank. And it made a point to come directly at me because I was a child walking behind an adult. But I guess I'm just making it up so see all y'all experts in the funny papers.
I encourage you to watch the whole video to see if our explanations and demonstrations of real cottonmouth behavior provide any insight into this experience. I can tell you one thing with certainty, no snake has ever been observed selectively attacking young people unless it was a 15+ ft python trying to eat them. “Aggressive attacks” by vipers on people are almost always cases of misinterpreting their behavior, even if the animal was moving in your direction. Check out the latter half of the video and you can let us know what you think. Thanks for watching.
There are two rules to snake club! Rule #1 - You don’t mess with cottonmouths! Rule #2 - YOU DO NOT MESS WITH COOTENMOUTHS! ( Still waiting for a part 2 to this video! When you dive into a swamp with one! And scientifically prove that they behave the same in the swamp, just as they behave on the land? It would make for an awesome video, and prove your theory even further! 👍)
That’s very good advice, leaving them alone is the best way to 100% guarantee that you never take a bite from a cottonmouth. We’ll definitely be covering cottonmouths again soon, we have several plans for videos we want to shoot with them. Thanks for watching!
@ If you prove your theory of them being as docile as you claim, which I 80% agree with! That would be an epic scientific experiment! I wouldn’t suggest doing it! There are myths and legends that exist! But I’ve never heard of a Cottonmouth chasing anyone on land! But there are plenty of stories about them chasing you in the water! I know if I see one on land? I’ll just avoid it! But in water? I’ll swim away like my life depends upon it! It would be very interesting to see you two prove that this is a myth! But they seem to more aggressive in the water, than on land! I agree that personal experiences, and stories do not prove anything! But it would be nice to see an actual study while confronting them in the water! 😘
I have had one chase/ come straight for me! Twice! the second time was AFTER I threw a coil of rope at it. I wonder if you have ever encountered one during mating season? It should be noted the other 2 times encountering one it ran.
It’s not unheard of to have cottonmouths move towards a person, but like we explain in the video it’s almost always because they’re either trying to get into habitat that’s between you and them or they’re interested in some sort of food source that’s close by to you. We haven’t observed cottonmouth mating yet, but if we ever got the chance to film it that would be amazing. Thank you for watching!
I’ve had one chase me. You’re wrong
We talk about that later in the video, check out 17:00 for the explanation of why cottonmouths sometimes approach people. Thanks for watching!
Im North Carolina Tuscarora....yeah...they will. They will also come to a fire at night....
It’s conceivable that a cottonmouth could be attracted to a fire at night because it’s a large heat source, but they would still not be approaching it with aggressive intentions. We talk about the chasing myth later in the video, check out 17:00 for the full explanation. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers I had to throw away 14 catfish one night because they all were bitten.
People need to know snakes aren't aggressive their defensive!
That’s exactly right, they’re just trying to defend their lives from what they perceive as a threat. Thank you for watching!
I have seen them just a little north of Atlanta Ga. Thats about as far north. My nemesis is freaking copperheads. And these little rattlesnakes ? Not sure what species they are. Little bitty rascals with only a couple of beads. Maybe Timber rattlers but smaller.
You definitely have to be vigilant with copperheads, though I think they’re really cool snakes when you get to know them. The rattlesnakes you’re seeing could be pygmy rattlesnakes, or possibly juvenile timbers. Thanks for watching!
You really need to do more studying, South Kentucky have them. It's been on the news.
It’s true that there have been cottonmouths reported from southern Kentucky, and though we don’t state it explicitly in the video it is represented on the range map we included. Thanks for watching.
Aggressive defensiveness AKA the FAFO snake. It is true that cottonmouth is not aggressive. Drunk males 18-25 are more dangerous because of they have not outgrown their stupidity inflamed with alcohol.
Very good point, so many of the negative encounters that occur with venomous snakes have alcohol involved, unfortunately. Cottonmouths have always been timid in our experience, cool snakes. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers You are so wrong. 54 years old. When I was a kid we played in old blackwater ponds deep in the woods. THEY CHASE YOU!
When I was in my 30s I would take my family fishing on foot hiking in the creek for two weeks at a time sometimes. THEY CHASE YOU regularly. About 8 years ago I worked on a lake in maintenance for the US Army Corp of Engineers. THEY CHASE YOU. Stop trying to teach people from what you have read on the internet. You're going to get someone hurt.
What did that chasing behavior look like? I don’t doubt that a cottonmouth moved towards you, but check out around the 16 minute mark in this video to get more explanation about what was probably going on. We didn’t learn this stuff on the internet, we learned it through years of finding, catching, and filming cottonmouths and thousands of other snakes in the wild. We say consistently in this video to give these snakes their space and provide detailed explanations of how they behave and how people should behave around them, that is not the messaging that will lead to anyone getting hurt if they listen to it.
@TheWildlifeBrothers No one who knows anything about snakes is going to waste their time watching it. No way you have the experience with snakes you say you do. However it's possible the snakes on your side of the planet act differently. But just know all pit viper water snakes will chase you and approach you for any reason in the southern USA. You're not even old enough to have the experience you claim to have
We have plenty of experienced herpers and snake keepers in our audience, but that’s beside the point. Several years of our most active in field experience and training are publicly available on TH-cam, including many instances of working with pit vipers and water snakes in the southern US, none of which have ever chased us on or off camera. 24 isn’t young if you work hard from a young age.
@TheWildlifeBrothers
Seriously
24 is a young boy son.
As a Brit, if I was visiting USA I would be very cautious at handling any snake. Even though I’ve watched countless hours of herping and wildlife videos and think I would be able to distinguish the species, I would much prefer to admire then find out the hard way I was wrong. 😂
That’s a perfect attitude to have, it essentially guarantees that you’ll never be on the receiving end of a snake bite (barring a freak accident). Thank you so much for watching, as always your support means the world to us!
Most are harmless and kill mice and rats etc
Cottonmouths are relatively docile and calm snakes. Cottonmouths do not chase humans and they aren't aggressive at all. People should not pick them up at all. However there's no Cottonmouths that have chased humans.
That’s been our experience as well. Leave them alone and they’ll want nothing to do with you, and I have yet to see a verified report of chasing behavior that can be properly quantified as an aggressive attack. Mostly just misunderstandings of their attempts to flee or get a meal. Thanks for watching!
BOOOOM!!!!, BANG, BANG, Bang!!!! Have seen in Pennsylvania years ago outside Philadelphia... About 50 plus years ago I made a good living trapping outside Philly near Holmes Berg prison. now 71 we got a few hundred dollars a year in the 1960 was BIG Bucks'...got muskrats, racoon and a few under 10 minks,
Being from the Philly area, I wish we still had the abundance of mammals that used to exist in this region. You can still see those species in some places, but they’re much rarer these days. Thanks for watching!
Yes hey will come towards you agesive
They may move in your direction, but they’re not trying to hurt you, just scare you off or get past you without any interest in you at all. They’re quick to get out of your way, in our experience. Thanks for watching.
Does the state of Louisiana allow a person to keep them as lets?
I believe that with a permit you can, yes. I don’t know anyone who currently does, though. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers i grew up in the Mojave desert so I'm used to venomous. Pretty snake you found there.
No cottonmouth in New York or New England or out west
That map is a lie...im 50 miles Northwest of ST Louis Missouri and i can show you a video of 3 of them i caught out of one pond 2 miles from my house...they are much further north than that map gives credit....they obviously didn't really survey much
There don’t appear to be any records of cottonmouths north of the Missouri River in MO, but you make a good point that the region may not be extensively surveyed. It’s definitely possible that some individuals have moved north, though that’s likely a rare occurrence. Thanks for watching!
@TheWildlifeBrothers i'm telling you, bro. In Lincoln County, Missouri, Warren County, Missouri St. Charles county, Missouri up to Pike County, Missouri. There are not just rare occurrences, but extensive breeding populations. I will put some on my arrowhead hunting channel. Just for you. Point N' Poles on yt
Reptiles were my first love as a child.
And i've always had a fascination with them
A green Mojave will chase you or at least charge at you. I've seen it twice
We haven’t worked with Mojaves in the wild yet, but we’ve worked with several other rattlesnakes in the field and in captivity, and we’ve always found them to be quick to get out of your way. I think it’s likely that the mojaves looked like they were chasing you for similar reasons that cottonmouths seem to, there’s more going on there. We’ll have to find out for ourselves one day soon.
Some snakes do that but the second you get out of the way or get away from them they are good
No snakes chase in defense. They are ambush predators. I guarantee they were just trying to get past.
@@jfrost18 come to Australia and Africa and meet eastern browns black mambas and coastal taipans abd say that
@@mattmc9812 they don't chase my man. I could cite many different studies and papers that will explain to you, but I think you should do some more research. This type of talk is the kind of stuff that brings fear into people and ends up eradicating species. Snakes are not out to hurt People. quit spreading misinformation
I have been chased by a cottonmouth after gigging a frog on my boat and i have had them uncoil and come near me while in the swamp. Either situation is scary as hell. If your calm it wont do anything but i cant let one come into my boat.best thing to do is throw your frog gig away if it comes for it.
Yeah, but like they explained in the video, it wasn't really coming for _you._ All it saw was an easy meal (the frog), thought it was gonna have a good dinner.
But, yeah, I can certainly see how that would be startling.
It can definitely be intimidating when a cottonmouth comes towards you, but in this case it sounds like it really wanted your frog. You’re right, if you stay calm the snake isn’t likely to do anything at all, I’m glad you made it away from that encounter unscathed. Thanks for watching!
Yes they will come after you Narrator don't know What He's talking about nothing.They will come after you
We talk about this later in the video, check out the segment around 17:00 to hear about what’s really going on when cottonmouths approach people.
BS they chase you for sure ,I've seen it myself
We address that later in the video, check out 17:00 for the explanation of why cottonmouths sometimes approach people.
These Twins have Weird Big Heads!!
Can’t argue with that
@@TheWildlifeBrotherswell answered boys and Mr Sanders how rude. You don’t look too handsome yourself