The poisonous eastern cottonmouth constitutes the only real danger of the swamp. It may appear sluggish and lazy, but it is capable of striking rapidly. When disturbed, the cottonmouth will vibrate its tail and open its mouth, displaying the white lining that gives it its name.
Markings generally vary with age from brightly colored bands when young to almost black when mature.
There are many other types of snakes also found in the swamp and while not poisonous they should be admired from a distance as they do bite. These are a sampling of the snakes we came across on one of our visits to the swamp. Red on black, Friend of Jack Red on yellow, kills a fellow Features of poisonous snakes include wide bodies , slit narrow eyes and triangular shaped heads .