Banded Water Snake Or Something Else?

[mic]

They virtually always take a defensive stance and their options for engagement are short. There's really no reason to fear a snake you can see.

I respect snakes I can see... I fear snakes that I can't. Aren't cottonmouths curious of things in the water? I always hear stories of CM that "swam over my way".

[Feathers and Fins]

Mic they are a curious creature but those pits also can detect size very good. If they swim over its to get out of water or they are just swimming that way. The only snake known to actually attack people or animals with pure intent is a Black Mamba and they don't live here and couldn't make it through our winters. They are highly territorial and can be very aggressive. I dealt with a few of them that ranged in personality from absolute psychopath to kitten tame its all in the personality of the snake. Honestly my favorite say was. " There is no cure for asphyxiation there is a cure for envenomation " Simply put more that a few of the venomous keepers I knew felt more safe with venomous snakes than large constrictors. But to quote a good friend Dr Fry " Dead is Dead everything else is academic"

[E Green]

herp dork here...that is a very cool snake...thanks for posting

[E Green]

This was a BIG Timber Rattlersnake I came across on our trip to Arcadia Valley a few weeks ago. Amazing creature....biggest rattlesnake I have seen outside of Mingo Nat Wildlife Refuge...

[E Green]

Mingo Nat Wildlife Refuge-Cottonmouth

[Feathers and Fins]

That's a real nice Timber, I miss chasing them in the Okefenokee swamp.

[E Green]

Northern Watersnake or yellow belly watersnake-taken in our front yard (west of poplar bluff-Marc Twain Nat Forest-close to cane creek and 10 mile creek)

[E Green]

i would love to visit okefenokee swamp someday. i also want to visit a couple swamps in arkansas as well. Still, there are some treasures to be had here in southern MO. Mingo is amazing! Otter Slough and Duck Creek are also very cool and great places to see herps and other amazing wildlife. One of these days, I am going to pry myself from my local streams right by my house and do some fishing at these places as well (mingo, duck creek and otter slough). Everytime i visit these places though I can't seem to put my camera down...haha