Agkistrodon conanti
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon conanti) is a species of venomous snake, a pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the United States, where it occurs in southern Georgia and the Florida peninsula in nearly every type of wetlands in the region, including brackish water and offshore islands. However, it is not entirely dependent on water and is occasionally encountered as far as a mile (1.6 km.) from surface water. Agkistrodon conanti venom is very hemolytic and known to cause relatively extensive necrosis compared to many snake venoms, and can sometimes be lethal with a 17% mortality rate. It is often confused with harmless watersnakes (Nerodia) and other semi-aquatic species with which it shares its habitat.
It is a moderately large, thick bodied snake, adults averaging 30 to 48 inches (76-122 cm) in length, but rare individuals can exceed 6 feet (183 cm). The head is marked with conspicuous black cheek stripes on each side, set off by light cream or white stripes above and below. The body is olive brown, dark brown, to black and with 10 to 17 dark bands. The dark bands are often darker at the edges but lighter with irregular markings or spotting in the center. The snakes often grow darker with age, and the banding and patterns can be obscure or absent on adults. It is a viviparous species, normally giving birth to 6 to 8 young, which bear the same pattern as adults but are clay-red or "red dirt" in color. It was first described in the late 1960s as a subspecies, Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti, however molecular research published in 2015 justified elevating it to a full species. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Busch Gardens Tampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Central Florida Zoo and Botanical Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Birmingham Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | ZooTampa | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Gatorland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Tbilisi Zoo | 🇬🇪 Georgia | |
| 10 | Greenville Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Cottonmouth sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 542 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Cottonmouth in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against about 60% in July and November, the lowest months. That is one of Big Cypress National Preserve's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 40 mm in March.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Florida Cottonmouth sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Florida Cottonmouth sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 50%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Cottonmouth is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (542 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
