How Big Do Cottonmouths Get? How Mean Are They?

No one knows snakes like Austin Stevens.

When his program Austin Steven’s “Snakemaster” debuted on Animal Planet a decade ago, wildlife enthusiasts around the world were mesmerized not only with the serpents he encountered on film, but of Steven’s deep passion and knowledge of the subject matter.

Stevens has just released his latest book Austin Stevens: Snakemaster-Wildlife Adventures with the World’s Most Dangerous Reptiles.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Stevens who is currently residing in Australia. From here in the swamps of East Texas to the great expanse of Down Under we have traded emails, exploring all things snakes.

A recent proliferation of cottonmouth photos on social media as well as a well-publicized incident with a young man being bitten while talking a “selfie” inspired a question about this infamous southern species.

“The cottonmouth, or water moccasin as it is also known is indeed reputed to be a bad-tempered snake when approached. Generally speaking I have found this to be true, though one must also take into account that though a species may have earned a particular reputation, individual snakes may differ within a species,” Stevens said.

“In Florida, in one morning, I came across two specimens within 50 feet of each other. The first immediately deployed the typical defense strategy, with head pulled back into its body coils, mouth wide open with tongue flickering in and out while its tail vibrated noisily amongst leaf litter, producing a sound almost like a rattler. Moving closer with my camera, the snake immediately responded with numerous short, quick strikes in my direction.”

“Not 20 minutes later and just a little further along, I came across a smaller specimen of the same species, basking on a log. This cottonmouth showed little interest in my approach and only moved when I attempted to pick it up with my snake tongs, which I eventually did with little complaint on the part of the snake. Two completely different displays of attitude, but generally speaking, cottonmouths are quick to show their displeasure when approached.”

So how big do cottonmouths gets?

TF&G Editor-In-Chief caught one that was well over 40 inches and was super thick.

“This was a hyper aggressive snake that was beautifully-marked and despite having photographed it for a period, relented in shows us its white mouth,” Moore said.

“I’ve had others be very chill comparatively speaking and immediately show its white. It just shows that what Austin Stevens says is true that even snakes can be individuals when it comes to behavior.”

Moore said he has seen one cottonmouth near Sabine Pass, TX that would be more than five feet long and was too big to get in his snake grabbers.

“This snake was as big around as a soda can at its thickest point and it had a very long strike distance. After a couple of attempts, I just let it be and let the snake slither off. I would’ve loved to have documented its size and get great photos but it was dark and I’m not completely crazy,” he said.

The A-Z Animals blog documents the largest cottonmouth on record.

A 1990 review of snakes included the largest cottonmouth snake ever reliably measured. This specimen was reputedly captured on the Virginia-North Carolina border, in an area known as the Dismal Swamp. According to the 1990 review, it measured 74 inches long, making it the longest cottonmouth snake ever recorded

Here’s a video of a five footer caught in Florida.

Here’s another massive cottonmouth.

What’s the biggest cottonmouth you’ve ever seen? Do you have photos for video? Share with us at chester@chestermoore.com.