On Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:03:24 -0500, with neither quill nor qualm, "Ed
Huntress" quickly quoth:


wrote in message
...
On Jan 17, 1:22 pm, Larry Jaques
wrote:

I grew up in Arkansas, where the Air Police used shotguns to kill the
cottonmouths at the perimeter of the LRAFB lake. I never heard of a
cottonmouth rattler or water moccasin in a tree. Have you seen them
displaying this behavior, Don?


I grew up south of you. Yes Cottonmouths do swim in lakes and then
climb a tree that is in the lake. So they can drop out of a tree into
a boat. Probably equally common is for a cottonmouth to get snagged
by a bass lure. Have not had it happen to me, but have heard people
describe the feeling of catching a snake while bass fishing. A real
what do I do now minute. It is so hard to push on a fishing line.
And the snake is not exactly happy about being hooked.

Dan

What I want to know is what is a "cottonmouth rattler," and how is it
different from a water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus). g

OK, OK. They could look so much like rattlers that we called 'em that.
For a long time I thought there were two different snakes, and I never
saw a live one for long. They were deadly and we knew it, making
tracks upon the first sighting, frog gigs in hand. We were smart
enough not to try to catch or kill one at 10 age. (us, not them)

---
Chaos, panic, and disorder--my work here is done.