Water Snakes - How far from shore?

hrliles - 2010-05-18 12:14 AM Moccasins typically swim in rivers with some current.  Copperheads will be around limbs, tree stumps, mud holes and basking around water and sun, well hidden.  Worry about the Moccasins but you don't really need to worry much about the AKA "Cottonmouth".  You can see them coming with their easy to spok s body movement in the water, and top speed, almost as fast as you.  Lake Jordan, they are there but near shore and coves, stumps, etc, away from where folks swim.  Cumberland County, near in the rivers....but Maria, if you get bitten, when you do Ironman, what a nice tattoo it would make!

maria40nc - 2010-05-17 4:58 PM Cord... you can post in my threads any time. 

Big Appa - 2010-05-18 9:01 AM

Bump

maria40nc - 2010-05-18 6:06 AM

(Eyeroll)

tbcotten - 2010-05-18 2:06 AM Ok, I feel kind of obligated to reply on this one.  I am an environmental scientist/wildlife biologist and did my master's research focusing on herpetology and I'm from Texas... I know a couple things about snakes, including water moccasins/cottonmouths (they are the same species of snake).  Ok in general semi aqautic snakes like water moccasins and water snakes (non-venomous) prefer some place with cover so they can ambush their prey (not you), so most of the time they are near the banks.  However that does not mean they don't decide on a whim that they want to go to the other side of the water body or to the snag out in the middle.  But, if you do encounter one in the middle of the water they are VERY reluctant to bite.  In the open water they have plenty of avenues for escape and really only strike when they are cornered or screwed with where they have few other options.  Copperheads on the other hand, like all snakes can swim, but rarely do. I would be VERY surprised to even hear of a copperhead in the middle of a large water body.  Honestly the only fauna I am every concerned with during open water swims (fresh or saltwater) are jellyfish.  When they are schooling swimming is ZERO fun.  While doing my grad research I would often be out at night in knee deep water with several water moccasins near by looking for the same frogs I was and I never had an incident.  I encounter them on a weekly basis with my current job and have never had an incident, just give them respect and no worries. Hope I helped

jgaither - 2010-05-18 9:12 AM The snakes aren't out there to get YOU.  They mostly want to be left alone.  You mind your own business and they'll mind theirs for the most part.  some one wrote about cotton mouths gettin' after you.  yeah, they will if the mood strikes.  They're ornery little cusses with bad dispositions.  But the rest will swim the other way if they get the slightest hint you are around.  Think about the snakes on the trail you took pictures of.  any of them seek you out or did they run (slither) the opposite direction as soon as they knew you were around?

I have a lake not 5 miles from my house that I won't set foot in near shore for the same reason.  Lake Houston is known for being snake infested.  I find snakes in my backyard about 4 times a year in the summer.  I will go in some other lakes around here, just not Lake Houston.  Rather take my chances with the sharks in the ocean.

GNO93 - 2010-05-18 9:15 AM

what are your thoughts on lake288?  any experiences there?