Water Moccasin vs. Cottonmouth: What’s the Difference?

Water moccasins and cottonmouths are often treated as two different snakes, but both names actually refer to the same venomous pit viper. Despite the confusion surrounding them, these semiaquatic snakes have several distinctive characteristics that make them easier to recognize. In this video, we explain how to identify cottonmouths, where they live, and what makes them different from the harmless water snakes commonly mistaken for them.