Picture is to fuzzy to tell for sure. Markings make me say water snake. Water mocassins have almost no markings. They are pretty much solid with lighter bellies than a water snake. They also have a blunter tail. The head is too out of focus so I cannot tell by it. I used to hunt them as a kid. The neighbors loved it when I walked down the street with one.

Remember when Richard Pryor ran on water, when the piranha was tearinig his @$$ up? That would have been me, trying to get away from that snake....I'm not scared of them, I just don't like them

Water snake no doubt about it. Should have whacked him with that paddle, the only good snake is a Dead snake!

They are very aggresive

+1

It is a banded water snake! They are very aggressive and stink!! They do have triangular heads and mock a cottonmouth!!! The only easy way to tell is the eyes!! All poisonous snakes have cat eyes and look like a slit in the eye.

whatever! let any of you fella's pick that "banded water snake" up, haha! Cotton Mouth. Look how fat it is where it's hanging in pic #1, and looks like an arrowhead to me.

It is a banded watersnake. Using head shape is a poor method of identifying a venomous snake. Here is a photo of a juvenile and you can see is has a pointed head most would consider a "diamond" shaped head.

http://media.photobucket.com/image/banded%20water%20snake/reptileman93/BandedWaterSnake1.jpg

Water Moccasin absolutely!
I Bet ya, bet ya, bet ya....!

Try this link for Western Water Moccasin. Some pretty good photos.

http://www.greglasley.net/wcottonmouth.html

It looks like it is the bad boy. The only way to tell for sure is capture and look to see if the bands extend around the belly. If they extend ever so slightly its not. The other is the eye pupil is slit horizantaly on the moccasin. Until you know for sure by a glance better to play it safe. They have a tendency to be thicker at the tail end then dimond back water snakes.The rising water had one up in my yard today and it got away from me in the bushes. My place is loaded with water snakes and todays was a moccasin. I hate that it got away, makes me really nerous working in the yard.

Thanks for the link live2fish. Definitely Agkistrodon piscivorus. Below is its' closest relative Agkistrodon contortrix. The link at the bottom is the link to my photobucket account. I should have some Nerodia(water snakes) shots in there as well along with lots of shots of my boy in "snake action."




http://s71.photobucket.com/albums/i144/TunaPope/

Cotton mouths are thick in the middle and have a stubby tail. Chalky color when dry and dark in water.

This thread is why Ross Perot said
"If it's a snake kill it! Don't appoint a comittee on snakes.

It would be in your best interest to pretend every snake was a moccasin and give it a wide path