February 13, 2009
I was walking down a trail in a swampy area near the shore in a National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia when this poisonous snake, a water moccasin, crawled out of the grasses on one side of the trail and headed across to the other side. Naturally, I had no objections. Why does a water moccasin cross a trail?
To get to the other side, of course. 
A water moccasin is also called a cottonmouth or a black moccasin. It’s called a cottonmouth because it will stand its ground and open its jaws, exposing the white lining of its mouth. Adult water moccasins are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite, but their reputation for attacking people without warning is not exactly accurate.
Water moccasins live in the Eastern part of the United States, usually near slow-moving streams and shallow lakes. They are strong swimmers and will even enter the ocean where they will sometimes swim to nearby islands.
Posted by: Seymour Simon
