Here’s How You Tell a Cottonmouth From a Rattlesnake

Neither a cottonmouth or a rattlesnake are animals that you want to get on the wrong side of because they are both venomous. However, it is a good idea to know which you are dealing with if you come across one of them. In this slideshow you will learn how to tell them apart.

There are many key differences between a cottonmouth and a rattlesnake. Cottonmouths grow smaller than a wide variety of rattlesnake breeds, but both snakes have equally thick bodies.

Rattlesnakes swim out of necessity and prefer to be on land, while cottonmouths enjoy living in aquatic environments. Finally, rattlesnakes have a distinct rattle at the end of their tails, while cottonmouths do not.

A significant difference between a cottonmouth vs rattlesnake is their size and weight. Cottonmouths are smaller than the average rattlesnake, but it also depends on the specific breed or rattlesnake species.

For example, rattlesnakes grow anywhere from 1 to 8 feet long, while cottonmouths grow 2-6 feet long on average.

There are certain rattlesnake species that grow much longer than cottonmouths, and vice versa. The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake reaches 10 feet long on occasion, while cottonmouths rarely grow larger than 6 feet. However, some cottonmouths grow larger than certain rattlesnake species, so this isn't a hard and fast rule.

Both cottonmouths and rattlesnakes live in North America, specifically the southern United States.

This means that you can find both of these snakes in the same habitat or environment, namely Florida. However, cottonmouths are only found in North America, while rattlesnakes are found in North, South, and Central America.

The preferred habitats of these two snakes also differ greatly. Cottonmouths enjoy living in watery or aquatic environments, such as marshes, wetlands, and alongside rivers and ponds. While rattlesnakes may also be found in these locations, they prefer spending their time on land, and in warm, dry climates.

The average rattlesnake lives in arid deserts and warm mountain climates. You can also find rattlesnakes in forested areas or grasslands, much like cottonmouths. However, rattlesnakes only choose to swim out of necessity, while cottonmouths enjoy swimming in many different aquatic settings.

It can be extremely difficult to tell a cottonmouth apart from a rattlesnake. This is why the two snakes are often confused, and for good reason.

They are both members of the pit viper family, but there are a few things that you can look out for in order to tell them apart. Let's discuss some of these differences now.

Cottonmouths have patterned bodies in shades of brown or black, while rattlesnakes have a distinct diamond pattern on their bodies. Rattlesnakes are also found in more colors than cottonmouths, depending on their preferred habitat or location. Desert rattlesnakes have tan or even yellow and peach colored scales, while cottonmouths never have scales in these shades.

Cottonmouths can be easily identified by their bright white mouths, while rattlesnakes do not have white mouths. You can also identify a rattlesnake by its namesake rattle on the end of its tail. Both of these snakes have earned names based on how you can best identify them, so keep these names in mind should you come across a snake while hiking!

Another difference between cottonmouths vs rattlesnakes is their behavior. While both of these snakes prefer to be left alone and only bite when threatened, they exhibit different responses if they feel cornered or threatened. For example, rattlesnakes rattle their tails and coil up, while cottonmouths mimic a rattlesnake's rattle and emit a musk that deters predators.

A cottonmouth's venom is also not as potent as a rattlesnake's. This is important to note, though both bites are extremely painful and can be life-threatening if left untreated. Rattlesnakes also change the time of day that they hunt based on the season, while cottonmouths maintain a diurnal hunting schedule, which means they are active during the day (as opposed to nocturnal animals.)

Besides shaking its tale, the cottonmouth snake will also gape its mouth open when threatened to show the white lining, trying to scare away the predator. It does this to send the message that you are in its space, and it would prefer it if you retreat.

Studies have shown that it's rare for cottonmouths to bite humans in self-defense; rather, they will gape, attempt escape, or vibrate their tails.

A final difference between cottonmouths and rattlesnakes is their diet and hunting style.

While both of these snakes inject their prey with a powerful and immobilizing venom, cottonmouths eat a wider variety of things compared to rattlesnakes.

For example, rattlesnakes eat rats, mice, lizards, frogs, squirrels, and rabbits, while cottonmouths eat fish, rodents, shrews, frogs, reptiles, birds, insects, and eggs.