Florida Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon conanti
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyViperidae (Vipèrids)
- GenusAgkistrodon (Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and Cantils)
- SpeciesAgkistrodon conanti (Florida Cottonmouth)
The Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon conanti) is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the United States, where it occurs in southern Georgia and the Florida peninsula in nearly every type of wetlands in the region, including brackish water and offshore islands. However, it is not entirely dependent on water and is occasionally encountered as far as a mile (1.6 km.) from surface water. Agkistrodon conanti venom is very hemolytic and known to cause relatively extensive necrosis compared to many snake venoms, and can sometimes be lethal with a 17% mortality rate. It is often confused with harmless watersnakes (Nerodia) and other semi-aquatic species with which it shares its habitat. It is a moderately large, thick bodied snake, adults averaging 30 to 48 inches (76-122 cm) in length, but rare individuals can exceed 6 feet (183 cm). Wikipedia →
70–80% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Cottonmouth sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 400 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Big Cypress National Preserve
📅 Monthly Probability
🌙 When They're Spotted
Most active during nighttime hours (6pm–6am) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Florida Cottonmouth in Big Cypress National Preserve?
About 72% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Cottonmouth sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve, based on 400 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Florida Cottonmouth in Big Cypress National Preserve?
September has the highest sighting rate for Florida Cottonmouth in Big Cypress National Preserve in our monthly data.