Giant Cottonmouth Water Moccasin Caught Alive.
Bob McNally 10.18.16
A Northeast Florida homeowner called a wildlife removal service in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, and what was discovered was one of the largest cottonmouth water moccasins on record.
It was a goliath of the species, a moccasin as big around as a softball. It had a sinister venomous head the size of a man’s clenched fist. And it measured a conservative 5-feet-6 in length. That’s of near-record size for the species (6-feet-2 by some accounts), and a snake far bigger than most 2-to-4 foot moccasins even seasoned woodsmen regularly encounter.
The snake was very lethargic, especially for a moccasin, which are well known for being aggressive and belligerent. It’s believed the snake was lethargic because it had severe head and body trauma, likely from the hurricane, with limbs and trees falling everywhere and strong storm surge waters flooding deep and fast in low-lying areas.
