Moccasin - Canvas

Agkistrodon piscivorus is a species of pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. It is one of the world's only semiaquatic vipers (along with the Florida cottonmouth), and is native to the southeastern United States. As an adult, it is large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. When threatened, it may respond by coiling its body and displaying its fangs. It occurs in or near water, particularly in slow-moving and shallow lakes, streams, and marshes. It is a capable swimmer and, like several species of snakes, is known to occasionally enter bays and estuaries and swim between barrier islands and the mainland.

 

The generic name is derived from the Greek words ἄγκιστρον  "fish-hook" and ὀδών "tooth", and the specific name comes from the Latin words Piscis "fish" and Voro " devour" thus, the scientific name translates to "hook-toothed fish-eater".

Common names include variants on cottonmouth, water moccasin, swamp moccasin, black moccasin, and simply viper. Many of the common names refer to the threat display, in which this species will often stand its ground and gape at an intruder, exposing the white lining of its mouth.