Venomous · North Carolina
Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Heavy-bodied water snake of the Coastal Plain. Often dark as adults, with a bold white mouth display.
Venomous. Keep your distance and do not handle. This page is a field guide, not a definitive identification service.
At a glance
Size
Usually 30-48 inches.
North Carolina range
Coastal Plain
Habitat
swamps, wetlands, pond edges
Diet
Fish, frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, birds, and small mammals.
Pattern
dark bands
Venomous
Yes
How to identify it
Heavy-bodied and dark-colored, with a broad head, facial stripe, and a white mouth often exposed when threatened.
Where to look in North Carolina
Restricted primarily to the Coastal Plain of North Carolina.
Swamps, marshes, floodplains, pond margins, and slow-moving waterways.
Regional maps show broad physiographic provinces, not county-level records.
Photo guide
Use the gallery to check pattern, body shape, and context—not just overall color.
