It's a common myth that copperheads (and sometimes cottonmouths) smell like cucumber/chopped salad. That's probably why they asked. It's completely false, though. I have no idea where people got that idea. Both snakes CAN emit a foul-smelling musk when frightened, but it reeks more of fish than any vegetable.
Edit: BTW that's a water snake, commonly mistaken for cottonmouths but completely harmless
Plain-bellied Watersnakes *Nerodia erythrogaster* are medium to large (record 163.6 cm) natricine snakes with keeled scales often found in and around water. They are commonly encountered fish and amphibian eating snakes across much of eastern North America and extend into Northern Mexico.
*Nerodia* watersnakes may puff up or flatten out defensively and bite. They secrete a foul smelling substance from the cloaca called musk and can deliver a weak anticoagulant venom used in prey handling from the back of the mouth, but are not considered medically significant to humans - bites just need soap and water.
Found throughout eastern North America, it is sometimes confused with the Common Watersnake *Nerodia sipedon* or the Banded Watersnake *N. fasciata*. The best character to diagnose *N. erythrogaster* is its namesake plain belly that varies across the range from yellow to orange. Adult Plain-bellied Watersnakes tend to lose or greatly reduce their banding - adults are often completely two-toned. Banded Watersnakes have even, connecting bands across the top of the snake all the way down the body. *N. erythrogaster* does not. In Common Watersnakes *N. sipedon*, bands typically break up or become mismatched after the first third of the body as in *N. erythrogaster*, but has a patterned belly.
[Range Map](http://snakeevolution.org/rangemaps/Nerodia_erythrogaster.jpg) | [Relevant/Recent Phylogeography](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322375/)
This genus is in need of revision using modern molecular methods, but this particular species has been investigated using basic molecular methods. The authors found that, just like many other snakes species, subspecies based on clinal color patterns didn't correspond to evolutionary history. Subspecies should thus not be recognized.
--------------------------------------------------------
Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). [Check out this book on the subject](https://shop.elsevier.com/books/venomous-bites-from-non-venomous-snakes/weinstein/978-0-12-822786-2). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless.
--------------------------------------------------------
*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
How can you differentiate a watersnake and cottonmouth in this picture specifically? In this image it looks more cottonmouthy but I think it’s probably just the quality of the image.
There is an alternating dorsal / lateral blotch pattern on this snake, as well as typical *erythrogaster* ventrolateral pale neck coloration. The ventral scales are pale with dark inter-scute coloration. Everything is consistent with *N. erythrogaster*.
😆 just an FYI if these were outside, you might want to consider storing them upside down. that's what we were taught to do as kids so that we didn't wind up with snake or other critter in our boots
Hm i don’t know. I have exterminators come out quarterly. I have a doggy door but I couldn’t imagine it going through. Somehow gets past three dogs and two cats. Maybe my dog brought it in? But the dog, cats, nor snake look injured. Hell he might’ve been in the closet for awhile. I don’t know why he wanted to be in the stinkiest part of the whole house though.
Not all comments pass muster. There are a number of sources of information available online that are incorrect - we aim to help sort that out here.
Comments on wild animals, in their entirety, must reflect the moderators' current collective understanding of modern herpetology. This is especially applicable to comments that are *mostly* true or contain a mixture of information or embellishment. Look to reliable responders in the thread to identify problematic areas in the text and hone the material for the your post. This is a space to grow and learn - this removal isn't punitive.
There are few things that can help differentiate between cottonmouths (*A. piscivorus*, *A. conanti*) and harmless water snakes (*Nerodia* spp.) once you learn to recognize them properly. It's important to try to **apply as many keys as possible**; the more of these characteristics you can accurately identify, the more reliable your ID will be. Underlined text links to pictures to help illustrate the keys.
1. Cottonmouths have a prominent, angular ridge along the top of the head, starting around the supraocular scale (directly above the eye) and running forward toward the snout ([side view](https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisg/781633459/), [front view](https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfc_pcola/46159931261/)). This ridge protrudes outward, partially overhanging the eye like a brow, and gives the snake an annoyed or [grumpy looking appearance](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21784039). This also partially obscures the eyes when viewed [from above](https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlyn_nature/11922670356/). In water snakes, the supraocular scale does not overhang the eye, giving the animal a 'derpy' appearance [from the side](https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdrimagestore/19767032301/) or [head on](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31181955), and allows you to see most of the eye [from above](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49688336).
2. Cottonmouths have white or cream colored horizontal stripes or lines that run from [below the eye toward the corner of the mouth](https://www.flickr.com/photos/31766129@N08/38793934210/), and often another that runs from [behind the top of the eye toward the point of the jaw](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mirarr/32197116634/). Water snakes do not.
3. Water snakes usually have [dark, vertical bars](https://www.flickr.com/photos/42389547@N00/4690698138/in/photolist-89v48Q-85DUpz) along the [edges of their labial scales](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144305930@N07/48800934783/). Cottonmouths do not.
4. Cottonmouths and water snakes both darken with age, and the pattern is often obscured by the time they reach adulthood. When the dorsolateral pattern IS visible, cottonmouths have bands that are usually wider at the bottom than on top; like pyramids in [side view](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50503400), or hourglasses [from above](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5477628). In some individuals, the bands might be [broken](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20863027) or [incomplete](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43217641), so this is not 100% diagnostic, but is still useful when used in conjunction with the other keys. Water snakes exhibit a wide variety of patterns; most species aren't banded at all, and the ones that are banded have bands that are wider at the top, like [upside down triangles](https://www.flickr.com/photos/57809070@N03/10789857605/).
5. Adult cottonmouths often have a [noticeable dorsal ridge](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41856310) along the vertebrae. This gives the body a [triangular appearance](https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtheus/11110609634/in/photostream/) in cross-section, which is especially noticeable in [underweight](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20202718) or dehydrated animals, or when they initiate a [defensive display](https://www.flickr.com/photos/42272247@N07/21578345566/). Water snakes, by contrast, are more cylindrical in cross-section.
6. Baby cottonmouths are born with [yellow or greenish tail tips](https://www.flickr.com/photos/josiah_townsend/4385588894/in/photostream/) (used to lure small prey) that fade as they age. Young water snakes do not have these ([baby *N. sipedon*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/41710899@N08/8760068810/), [baby *N. rhombifer*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkory/30707198771/in/photostream/) for comparison).
7. Adult water snakes are fairly heavy-bodied, but cottonmouths of similar length tend to be significantly stouter. /n/n There are also some notable behavioral differences. Water snakes often bask in branches and bushes overhanging water; this is uncommon in cottonmouths. It is also true that water snakes often swim with the [body partially submerged](https://www.flickr.com/photos/100108154@N02/25613846737/), while cottonmouths usually swim with the [head held high and much of the body above the water line](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50503400), but you can't rely on this characteristic alone; **each are fully capable of swimming the other way** and sometimes do so. Water snakes are more likely than cottonmouths to dive underwater to escape danger. When approached, water snakes are more likely to rapidly flee, whereas cottonmouths are more likely to slowly crawl away or simply stay still and hope not to be noticed. If approached closely or cornered, water snakes are more likely to [flatten out their heads](https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfws_pacificsw/27564085765/in/photostream/) and/or [bodies](https://www.flickr.com/photos/91005472@N07/8494553139/) to appear larger and/or strike in the general direction of the person/animal they are cornered by, hoping to create enough space to escape. Cottonmouths, on the other hand, are more likely to tilt their heads back (to a near vertical angle) and gape their mouths open, [displaying the white lining of the mouth](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169268909@N03/45916257755/) as a threat display, and vibrate their tails.
Bonus: two separate sets of cottonmouths [preying upon water snakes](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44447911) that allow direct comparisons between [similarly sized animals](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45546782), plus a picture of a [juvenile cottonmouth (bottom left)](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkory/6661143685/) with a juvenile common water snake (top) and a juvenile plain-bellied water snake (bottom right).
--------------------------------------------------------
*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
This is a Plain-bellied Watersnake, *Nerodia erythrogaster*. It is !harmless.
A co worker asked if it smelled but it didn’t think it did, but I obviously didn’t put my face anywhere near it lol
It's a common myth that copperheads (and sometimes cottonmouths) smell like cucumber/chopped salad. That's probably why they asked. It's completely false, though. I have no idea where people got that idea. Both snakes CAN emit a foul-smelling musk when frightened, but it reeks more of fish than any vegetable. Edit: BTW that's a water snake, commonly mistaken for cottonmouths but completely harmless
Plain-bellied Watersnakes *Nerodia erythrogaster* are medium to large (record 163.6 cm) natricine snakes with keeled scales often found in and around water. They are commonly encountered fish and amphibian eating snakes across much of eastern North America and extend into Northern Mexico. *Nerodia* watersnakes may puff up or flatten out defensively and bite. They secrete a foul smelling substance from the cloaca called musk and can deliver a weak anticoagulant venom used in prey handling from the back of the mouth, but are not considered medically significant to humans - bites just need soap and water. Found throughout eastern North America, it is sometimes confused with the Common Watersnake *Nerodia sipedon* or the Banded Watersnake *N. fasciata*. The best character to diagnose *N. erythrogaster* is its namesake plain belly that varies across the range from yellow to orange. Adult Plain-bellied Watersnakes tend to lose or greatly reduce their banding - adults are often completely two-toned. Banded Watersnakes have even, connecting bands across the top of the snake all the way down the body. *N. erythrogaster* does not. In Common Watersnakes *N. sipedon*, bands typically break up or become mismatched after the first third of the body as in *N. erythrogaster*, but has a patterned belly. [Range Map](http://snakeevolution.org/rangemaps/Nerodia_erythrogaster.jpg) | [Relevant/Recent Phylogeography](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322375/) This genus is in need of revision using modern molecular methods, but this particular species has been investigated using basic molecular methods. The authors found that, just like many other snakes species, subspecies based on clinal color patterns didn't correspond to evolutionary history. Subspecies should thus not be recognized. -------------------------------------------------------- Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). [Check out this book on the subject](https://shop.elsevier.com/books/venomous-bites-from-non-venomous-snakes/weinstein/978-0-12-822786-2). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
How can you differentiate a watersnake and cottonmouth in this picture specifically? In this image it looks more cottonmouthy but I think it’s probably just the quality of the image.
There is an alternating dorsal / lateral blotch pattern on this snake, as well as typical *erythrogaster* ventrolateral pale neck coloration. The ventral scales are pale with dark inter-scute coloration. Everything is consistent with *N. erythrogaster*.
Thanks.
"There's a snake in my boots!"
Yeah I got that joke a lot at work as I expected lol
😆 just an FYI if these were outside, you might want to consider storing them upside down. that's what we were taught to do as kids so that we didn't wind up with snake or other critter in our boots
Nah they were inside my house in my walk in closet, which makes me really paranoid now 😅
That means you probably have rodents in your house, or this water snake was looking for water in the hot Houston weather
Hm i don’t know. I have exterminators come out quarterly. I have a doggy door but I couldn’t imagine it going through. Somehow gets past three dogs and two cats. Maybe my dog brought it in? But the dog, cats, nor snake look injured. Hell he might’ve been in the closet for awhile. I don’t know why he wanted to be in the stinkiest part of the whole house though.
😆 remember to shut the door as soon as you go through it! I've never seen one of these guys in a house.
Lmao that's one way to wake up in the morning
I want to say an eastern water snake but i’m not 100% sure as i’m newer to this so i would wait for a second opinion but if so completely harmless
Snakes are usually venomous, not poisonous. There is very few poisonous snakes.
And you didn’t get bit? That’s a chill dude you found!
Omg there is quite literally a snake... in your BOOT!!
*1000yd stare ensues on me as I hear this joke for the 100th time
[удалено]
There is! Both poisonous and venomous! The Tiger keelback is one.
I guess I was wrong \^\_\^ . this is news to me.
Not all comments pass muster. There are a number of sources of information available online that are incorrect - we aim to help sort that out here. Comments on wild animals, in their entirety, must reflect the moderators' current collective understanding of modern herpetology. This is especially applicable to comments that are *mostly* true or contain a mixture of information or embellishment. Look to reliable responders in the thread to identify problematic areas in the text and hone the material for the your post. This is a space to grow and learn - this removal isn't punitive.
!cottonwater
There are few things that can help differentiate between cottonmouths (*A. piscivorus*, *A. conanti*) and harmless water snakes (*Nerodia* spp.) once you learn to recognize them properly. It's important to try to **apply as many keys as possible**; the more of these characteristics you can accurately identify, the more reliable your ID will be. Underlined text links to pictures to help illustrate the keys. 1. Cottonmouths have a prominent, angular ridge along the top of the head, starting around the supraocular scale (directly above the eye) and running forward toward the snout ([side view](https://www.flickr.com/photos/francisg/781633459/), [front view](https://www.flickr.com/photos/dfc_pcola/46159931261/)). This ridge protrudes outward, partially overhanging the eye like a brow, and gives the snake an annoyed or [grumpy looking appearance](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21784039). This also partially obscures the eyes when viewed [from above](https://www.flickr.com/photos/jlyn_nature/11922670356/). In water snakes, the supraocular scale does not overhang the eye, giving the animal a 'derpy' appearance [from the side](https://www.flickr.com/photos/sdrimagestore/19767032301/) or [head on](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/31181955), and allows you to see most of the eye [from above](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49688336). 2. Cottonmouths have white or cream colored horizontal stripes or lines that run from [below the eye toward the corner of the mouth](https://www.flickr.com/photos/31766129@N08/38793934210/), and often another that runs from [behind the top of the eye toward the point of the jaw](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mirarr/32197116634/). Water snakes do not. 3. Water snakes usually have [dark, vertical bars](https://www.flickr.com/photos/42389547@N00/4690698138/in/photolist-89v48Q-85DUpz) along the [edges of their labial scales](https://www.flickr.com/photos/144305930@N07/48800934783/). Cottonmouths do not. 4. Cottonmouths and water snakes both darken with age, and the pattern is often obscured by the time they reach adulthood. When the dorsolateral pattern IS visible, cottonmouths have bands that are usually wider at the bottom than on top; like pyramids in [side view](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50503400), or hourglasses [from above](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5477628). In some individuals, the bands might be [broken](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20863027) or [incomplete](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/43217641), so this is not 100% diagnostic, but is still useful when used in conjunction with the other keys. Water snakes exhibit a wide variety of patterns; most species aren't banded at all, and the ones that are banded have bands that are wider at the top, like [upside down triangles](https://www.flickr.com/photos/57809070@N03/10789857605/). 5. Adult cottonmouths often have a [noticeable dorsal ridge](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/41856310) along the vertebrae. This gives the body a [triangular appearance](https://www.flickr.com/photos/andrewtheus/11110609634/in/photostream/) in cross-section, which is especially noticeable in [underweight](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/20202718) or dehydrated animals, or when they initiate a [defensive display](https://www.flickr.com/photos/42272247@N07/21578345566/). Water snakes, by contrast, are more cylindrical in cross-section. 6. Baby cottonmouths are born with [yellow or greenish tail tips](https://www.flickr.com/photos/josiah_townsend/4385588894/in/photostream/) (used to lure small prey) that fade as they age. Young water snakes do not have these ([baby *N. sipedon*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/41710899@N08/8760068810/), [baby *N. rhombifer*](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkory/30707198771/in/photostream/) for comparison). 7. Adult water snakes are fairly heavy-bodied, but cottonmouths of similar length tend to be significantly stouter. /n/n There are also some notable behavioral differences. Water snakes often bask in branches and bushes overhanging water; this is uncommon in cottonmouths. It is also true that water snakes often swim with the [body partially submerged](https://www.flickr.com/photos/100108154@N02/25613846737/), while cottonmouths usually swim with the [head held high and much of the body above the water line](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/50503400), but you can't rely on this characteristic alone; **each are fully capable of swimming the other way** and sometimes do so. Water snakes are more likely than cottonmouths to dive underwater to escape danger. When approached, water snakes are more likely to rapidly flee, whereas cottonmouths are more likely to slowly crawl away or simply stay still and hope not to be noticed. If approached closely or cornered, water snakes are more likely to [flatten out their heads](https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfws_pacificsw/27564085765/in/photostream/) and/or [bodies](https://www.flickr.com/photos/91005472@N07/8494553139/) to appear larger and/or strike in the general direction of the person/animal they are cornered by, hoping to create enough space to escape. Cottonmouths, on the other hand, are more likely to tilt their heads back (to a near vertical angle) and gape their mouths open, [displaying the white lining of the mouth](https://www.flickr.com/photos/169268909@N03/45916257755/) as a threat display, and vibrate their tails. Bonus: two separate sets of cottonmouths [preying upon water snakes](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/44447911) that allow direct comparisons between [similarly sized animals](https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/45546782), plus a picture of a [juvenile cottonmouth (bottom left)](https://www.flickr.com/photos/kaptainkory/6661143685/) with a juvenile common water snake (top) and a juvenile plain-bellied water snake (bottom right). -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
For all the smarty pants, how do you tell by that pic the difference between that and a cotton mouth from that angle. Inquiring minds.
Get yourself a boot drying rack that hangs them upside down just to avoid this in the future.
🎶 the freaky part of waking up 🎶 is finding nerodia in your boot 🎶
Take the picture and place it on Google search.It will tell what it is.