The pattern looks very much like a cottonmouth (as best I can tell anyway), but the body shape doesn't. I'm no expert by any stretch, but mycousin's husband is. Even he couldn't tell some of them apart just by the color/pattern. It could very well be a cotton mouth, but the odds are against it due to the length and body size. I've been fooled more than once myself--kill a big 'ol "cotton mouth", and there were no fangs at all--just another water snake.

I wasn't trying to start an argument, just pointing out that there's a lot of water snakes that look very much like a cotton mouth. Probably wouldn't make much difference to me if I got bitten by one or the other--my heart would probably give out on me, poison or not!

Chad

I know what Chad is saying, from the colors, they often look exactly a like.... The head is where you can really tell the difference.... The cotton mouth will have that tale tale triangle head.....