Then, paraphrase the statement in your own words. We were in a swampy area near a small river. A flock of long-plumed egrets was perched on tree branches overhanging the riverbank. We saw some lovely egrets that were sitting on branches that hung over the river. We weren't paying attention, and suddenly our canoe was stuck on the river bottom.
Water moccasins are aggressive poisonous snakes that live along muddy banks of rivers and swamps.
Water moccasins are dangerous because they're poisonous and do attack. They live on the edges of swamps and rivers. Luckily, it didn't seem particularly interested in us and eventually swam away with an expressionless stare on its face. The alligator didn't pay attention to us. It just swam away looking uninterested.