Moccasin Snake

a venomous serpent allied to the copperhead and rattlesnake. About thirty to fifty inches in length. It is an exceedingly dangerous snake. It is of an inconspicuous brown; it lies in bushes overhanging water, or on the shore half in water, watching for frogs or fishes. It strikes venomously and without warning at the passer-by. It is the ugliest of American snakes. The body is stout--three inches in diameter and is without bright colors. The skin "looks like sun-dried mud." The whiteness of the inside of the mouth has given rise to the name of "Cotton-mouth." The poison does not act so quickly as that of the rattlesnake, but it is as deadly and requires the same sort of treatment. The moccasin ranges from the Gulf to southern Illinois and Texas. See Snakes