the young copperhead possesses enough venom to kill a mouse if it is so 
inclined. The young have brilliant yellow tails which fade to brown before 
the third year, except in the Texas variety, which retains a greenish-yellow 
tail throughout life. 
When food is brought to a cage full of young copperheads, they wriggle 
their tails. It is thought that this is a means of attracting their prey; the 
remainder of the body is camouflaged, and the prey, attracted by the 
mysterious yellow object, moves to within striking distance. Within ten days 
after birth the young snakes shed their skin for the first time. 
The copperhead’s chief enemies, aside from man, are other snakes, 
especially king snakes. 
WATER MOCCASIN 
The water moccasin or cottonmouth ranging over the wet lowlands of the 
southern United States, is irritable and pugnacious. It reaches a maximum 
length of six feet, and its usual length is four feet. The young will snap 
at a moving object even before they have completely escaped from the 
embryonic membranes and at birth can inject a fairly strong dose of poison. 
A captive moccasin which escaped into the cage of a large South American 
anaconda, bit the constrictor several times and killed it. One specimen 
survived captivity for twenty-one years. 
When surprised or angry, the moccasin opens its mouth wide, disclosing 
a white, cottonlike fleshy interior. This is why many persons call it cotton- 
mouth. 
This snake is often found on low branches overhanging a stream. When 
frightened, it slides into the water, swims under the surface for a distance, 
and later emerges in a hidden spot among the reeds. In the water it hunts 
for fishes and frogs, while on land it partakes of birds and small mammals. 
The water moccasin is an olive or brownish color with indistinct black¬ 
ish bands on the sides. A dark band runs from each eye to the corner of 
the mouth. The mating of moccasins first occurs during the third year of 
their lives. 
In captivity these snakes grow gentle and sluggish and often survive 
for many years. 
146 
