Thank you so much for watching this video everyone! If you did enjoy, I would really appreciate it if you could share this video on social media to help more people learn to tell the difference between these snakes, and also leave a like. If you are interested in learning more about backyard wildlife, feel free to subscribe to my channel. I post new videos every other Saturday morning! ru-vid.com Also, don't forget to check out Zach's channel for more awesome wildlife videos! ru-vid.com/show-UCQaMMvbWGA4723s1x82df8Avideos Keep adventuring everywhere! -Ben Zino
🤔 Hmmmm. I was fishing on the shore. Standing on a large limestone boulder. A very large and aggressive black cotton mouth swam towards me. It came out of the water and slithered directly to my feet. It tried to bite my feet. I tried to gently detour it with a hiking stick. It became more aggressive and was determined to attack. A park ranger managed to get it into a bucket with a lid. He took it to the naturalists station. Is there an explanation of why it attacked me? BTW. We've NEVER seen a cottonmouth snake up here, near Cleveland Ohio. Mostly, black water snakes. 🐍🐍🐍🐍🐍🚣🧜😳
Finally-2 young people who actually aren't obnoxious and very well informed. You guys are better than a lot of the other snake handlers on here. Well done!
@@TheWildReportOfficial Right on. You guys ever come down to the Everglades??I'm sure you'd have a blast here since Florida is the Australia of North America
When I begin to lose faith in our younger generation, these guys give me hope. Don’t let any of us old folks call you “kids” either, you’re grown damn men, albeit youngun’s.
Y'all got more balls than I got everytime I see a snake I'm going the other way and not being mean but if they are coming across the road and I'm driving my truck I tried to do my best to put them out of their miserable
i am impressed by you young bucks, i am glad to see there are still good young boys who understand nature. Appreciated that you filmed their release at the end, it made the video complete.
These guys are awesome, reminds me of the people I used to hang with back when I lived in the small towns of Missouri. Lot of Missouri people are fun to hunt with, and explore the country with, and I’m black and from a city, so it was a treat to be able to see how these people grow up, and the cultural differences. The country life is where it’s at.
County life is something special, I’ve live in both the city and country. I liked the city in my younger party days but prefer to raise my kids in the country where they have room to explore versus the city where they couldn’t leave the porch, mostly because they were smaller but there wasn’t much yard anyways and the sidewalk was so close to the street and always had random people walking by where as in the country you’re rarely see someone you dont know on your road. Both great places to live but I’m happy where I’m at now 😊
I also love that you described cottonmouths as defensive. It’s a very common misconception that they are an OFFENSIVE species that will chase and attack unprovoked. They are defensive, meaning they will try to protect themselves when they feel they are in danger. If you leave them alone, they’ll leave you alone.
I love how accurate and swift Zack moves when he sees the right type of snake, I really enjoy his wide and accurate knowledge of snakes as well as the fact that him and his colleague seem to truly love and care about the snakes and are careful to not injure them.
So cool this video got over a million views. Very well deserved. My man went shoe deep in the mud and dragged out a swamp log with a venomous viper in it!! Now that is commitment! Great video to you both
Damn, you two got some of the biggest balls I've seen to go out there and hunt down snakes like that, good on ya, cause you would neeeeeeever catch me doing no shit like this.
Great video Ben! Working with Zachary is always a pleasure! We are glad y'all found your target species! We look forward to your next collab with Zach! -EliWild1 and LukeWild2
Are you sure your analysis is correct, that a Cottonmouth will stand its ground while the others flee? In your video, the Cottonmouth kept repeatedly trying to flee. People tend to be bias towards venomous snakes by seeing more aggression even when it's not there. I've encountered several Cottonmouths, and they are calm, non aggressive, and the last thing they want to do is bite you. The opposite is true of some rattlesnakes I encounteted.
Wow guys! Snakes really creep me out. I'm from out West...we have rattlesnakes here...but they give a warning... Interesting how that cottonmouth shook it's tail the same as rattlesnakes do, only no rattle sound. Good job...very informative.
Many species exhibit that behavior as a defensive display, it is interesting that rattlesnakes have taken that to an extreme. And thanks for the kind words!
Zach My heart rate jumps when you get so close to venomous critters, I appreciate your very informative video’s but please stay safe! Both of you are great, please stay safe
@@TheWildReportOfficial when you pulled that log out of the swamp, yeah the mocassin didn't come flying out at you, but there probably was at least a 1/20 chance that it would. When you're young, you like to show bravery and take that risk, but keep in mind doing this kind of activity inevitably some day it'll go to that 1 chance on 20. At least there are two of you to help the other but still, don't do things differently because of the camera and remember that we all have lacked judgement over emotions when we are or were young, . Stay safe, well done.
@@TheWildReportOfficialI agree with Michael, appreciate what you're trying to do for people but I saw several red flags go off. Not trying to knock on ya,cause the non venomous snakes you looked professional when handling but you put your safety on the line a couple times unnecessarily in my opinion and I just don't want to see you get bit if you can prevent it. Wear some protective clothes, going snake hunting in shorts and tennis shoes is asking for trouble. I know some snakes can bite through jeans and some type of boots but I'm pretty sure they either make some clothes for protection or you can make something to protect yourself. Y'all were way to close to that cottonmouth and several times you let yourself get distracted and look away when it was close enough to strike you while waving your hands around or so it appeared to me at least. 1 bite is all it takes guys. And don't ever go out or split up and be by yourselves when going after a venomous snake. If you get bit you want someone there who can help keep you calm and make good decisions and get you out of there. You might make good decisions and stay calm on your own but what if you're alone and have to drive yourself and lose function or pass out or whatever the symptoms are of the bite affect you and you lose control? I know you had 2 people there that time but I'm just saying that in general. Stay safe,better safe and alive than cool and dead. Could've mentioned that the cottonmouth got it's name from having a white mouth that looked like cotton and can identify it that way,I don't think I heard you say anything about that in the video. Informative video though,thanks!
Very awesome video!! That's very awesome to inform people, especially the ones that are scared of or don't like snakes of difference between the species. Hopefully this video will also save alot of snakes's lives, showing the true behavior of these snakes. All animals have important roles to their environment and we need to respect and understand that.
I worked at a golf course in Florida for a couple years. I am no snake expert. However, it was crazy how you never see snakes in and around the water until you start looking for them. Once you look you realize they are everywhere!!!
Wow you guys are great! You get to the point, give the necessary information without overwhelming the viewers. Loved how you mentioned they are important to our ecosystem. Thank you!
Just moved to Louisiana from the desert Southwest. Am not afraid of snakes but was initially dismayed to discover how many types of venomous snakes are here. Especially since there is so much more vegetation and hiding places in general (which is probably why local snakes can get so big). I’m glad to have found this video and am more confident about spotting and avoiding cotton mouths. They have the familiar pit-viper look about them that I’m used to seeing in rattle snakes. In the West we’ve got coyotes, scorpions, black widows, tarantula wasps, and rattle snakes. But they have a harder time hiding!
I randomly found this and I'm glad I did! From the editing to the filming and the knowledge you guys have too., it's great. You guys have a huge future and I can't wait to see the growth!
I learned a new word. CHONK. I have some CHONK friends. Great collab between you both, lots of info in this one. Hopefully, you'll snag some folks who need to see this before they kill their next watersnake. Good job guys!
Appreciation for what you guys are doing. Very helpful to see the differences with them side by side. I want my kids to be able to identify different types of snakes and your videos are my go to
I used to chase snakes as a kid. I regret to say that it never ended up well for the snake when I found one. To this day I don't know why I chose to seek them out to do harm, I just did. If I found one now, I'd probably say "wow" and just keep mowing the lawn.
All that said ty so much bc I now know it was a water moccasin. You boys are well educated & gutsy. Be careful even Steve Irwin wasn't afraid of anything. Be safe
Is it possible to find a cottonmouth on the banks of a river, like under some bushes? I was jogging along the Medina River in San Antonio Texas and saw one coiled up that looked just like this and he slowly unraveled and slithered away under the brush.
Thanks for the great video, guys! Old, life-long bullfrog hunter here that has seen hundreds of snakes in the wild at night, and many of them were up close and personal. The first thing I look for is the distinctive black stripe across their face, right at eye level. It sort of looks like Native American war paint. Every cottonmouth I've ever seen in my area has it. There are several other tell-tale things to look for of course, and I do not ignore those, but their heads seem to always be visible, and this stripe stands out to me, even at a good distance. So I can usually identify a cottonmouth at a glance by this marking alone. I do know there are certain color variations that don't have it, or at least it won't be as pronounced, but I have never seen this variation in my area, so that stripe is the first thing I have learned to look for. 👍
Good info on the differences. Most people think water snakes are Cottonmouths. People claim there are moccasins up north in Indiana but they are water snakes. We do have the Mississauga Rattler though in the swampy remote areas.
Have ran into several water snakes in my life, but they typically vanish so quickly that I do not have time for positive ID. A testament to their true (and deeply respected) priorities when encountering trespassers such as myself. Thank you so much for the extremely informative video. Well done!
Hey y'all,. So I happened to run across this vid and right in the middle heard, Honey Island Swamp. I had to perk up and pay closer attention at that point. That's where I call home! Were y'all walking the oil well road or indian bayou? Great video. It's good to see y'all doing well. This information helps all of us that love the outdoors. Good luck and keep up the good work.
Thank you so much for this video! I just walked out my back garage door and there was a 6 to 8 foot very fat enormous black snake with a white mouth and white lips, but it had big jaws. I was thinking it was an eastern rat snake but then I thought maybe it was a cottonmouth because it was pouring down rain and it was resting right in a big puddle on black asphalt. So after watching your video I think it was not a cottonmouth because it was moving very smoothly on the asphalt and went all the way up into the air like 3 feet dancing around the trashcan sniffing I guess. You guys are awesome I wish you could meet my daughter she’s only 20 years old and she loves to catch snakes and she’s majoring in wildlife conservation. Her name is Chloe Spengler.
Thank you, we need to teach the whole country this. Unbelievable in the town I live in the Police Department posted a picture of a Northern Banded Water Snake on their FaceBook page and “warned “ the public to beware of the Copperhead on the trail where the policeman photographed it. He stated that he was going to go into Wildlife Management but went into Police work instead. (Thank the Heavens for that !) He also said he constantly watched Animal Planet and National Geographic so he “knew” his species. I had to correct him with side by side photos and beg people not to go out and kill every snake in that Park. Which was what was about to happen. Hope I don’t get a ticket or something, it’s a small town. 🥺 I live in Connecticut and we do have Copperheads although very rare. I’ve been here 10 years and still haven’t found one. Not for lack of looking. LOL. Nor have a found a Rattlesnake here, which we have. Im trying though. We have gorgeous colored Milk Snakes (commonly mistaken for Copperheads also) and a beautiful black phase Garter here though. I’m known as the eccentric 64 year old lady that picks up snakes in my complex. 🤪🤪
Thanks so much for this comment! It is sad to hear that even authority figures in your town aren't educated about their snake species, but maybe you can help out. I bet your milk snakes are gorgeous, we technically have them here but I've never seen one. Good luck educating the people in your town, if you ever need backup just shoot me a link!
@John C. I agree completely. The older generation where I'm from was taught and taught their children to fear and hate snakes. That they were evil. Around my area they are still stupid idiots that brag about goingn" snake hunting" they'll learn back and say things like " I killed 7 rattlers and 4 copperheads ( in reality they prolly killed mostly harmless water snakes because they can't tell the difference) like their some kinda of big hero of a man. Makes me sick. I do not own nor will ever own a snake. But with education I've learn to greatly respect these beautiful animals and see no reason why such senseless killings should be allowed to continue.
Nice video. A rainbow snake was hanging out a for a couple of days where I fish. It was pretty relaxed. My presence didn’t bother it all. You’all would have liked to see that. I assume the short fat snakes swimming with their heads above the water are cottonmouths. Thanks for the video.
That's awesome, I've never seen a rainbow snake before! Those could potentially be cottonmouths, but are more likely to be watersnakes if they are swimming with their bodies submerged.
Good video. Not many videos out there do a good job showing the difference, so I appreciate it. I do Snake IDs in many Texas groups and a few Lousiana ones. I rescue snakes for free here in NW Houston as well. Keep up the good work!
Listening to y'all I kept thinking, these boys have to be from Louisiana! Out in a swamp with low-top shoes just grabbing snakes bare-handed. AHHH! But thank you, this was super helpful! I kayak fairly often and have a hard time telling the difference because I refuse to get close enough to check head and eye shape, lol.
Thank you for sharing. I live in the suburbs here outside of Nola. With this crazy weather this summer out of nowhere my yard has become a serious problem for water snakes. I didn’t know what kind of snakes they were until coming across your channel. I may add I live in golf course community with ponds but I don’t know why they are using my backyard as a passing. We have had 4 in a month. Very scary
I'm new to the channel, & I live in Fla. Wildlife is abundant around here. I respect nature & love to marvel at it. Gators, snakes, sharks, armadillos, bears, etc. I'm glad to see younger people enjoy nature. 🤠
I noticed the cottonmouth swam in a right-left-right-left squiggle, and its body stayed underwater except for the top of its head. I recall IRL seeing a snake swim in the river with its head high out of the water. Which snake would do that? Thanks! Appreciated the video. I think adding some still shots with arrows to the desired you talk about would make it even more helpful. TY!
Thank you for the video! I’m from Texas and I don’t know a damn thing about Cottonmouths, or Copperheads for that matter, but this was really helpful! Keep it up 👍
My daughter got bit by a cottonmouth. Antivenin for 2 days. We had to wait 4 hours before it was available. I think research from people like you would go a long way for people.
Great video! Thank yall so much I've never been able to truly distinguish the difference between the water snake and cotton mouth. These guys were so descriptive and broke it down beautifully.
I’d have killed it, that’s what we do with rattlers in Idaho, Oregon, Montana although I love snakes especially big bull snakes! You boys are Great, understanding goes a long way, I live in the south as a boy and had a scare while swimming in that muddy red water and a dead poisonous snake don’t bite nobody!
Excellent video guys really like how you respected those beautiful creatures getting that close to those snakes would turn my hair grayer than it already is
This video might be 3 years old but it's still better than most content on RU-vid!! Hopefully you don't get but by a cottonmouth, I unfortunately have been and it's not a fun event!!!
Fabulous video!! Thank you both so much for doing this incredibly informative video. I am moving to the Texas Gulf Coast in a few weeks. My home sits right on a river canal. I am concerned about the safety of curious pets. I am trying to familiarize and educate myself with all snakes I may come in contact near my home. I am going to subscribe and watch all of your videos. Thank you again for all your hard work. You guys are fearless!! Stay safe. 🙏✌💙
Wow! I live down the street from the Honey Island Swamp. Even being out here as long as I have, I've had difficulty recognizing cottonmouths. Thanks for the video!
I got bit by a moccasin about a month ago in my backyard. Since then I’ve been trying to learn about snakes that live in central Florida. I’m in rural area where all kinds of snakes live - even rattle snakes. It seems that very little is known about venomous snakes and lots of myths out there. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and helping people like me.
I live in Georgia now but I’m a native Floridian. If I see a moccasin anywhere near where people might be or traverse and I have a means to kill it I will. I will generally let rattlesnakes live because they will give you a warning, but with moccasins I’m most likely going to kill it if I have a means. Too many people and pets have been bitten by them. And for you radical environmentalists, sorry. People are more important than moccasins. You aren’t going to hurt the ecosystem by reducing their numbers because there are plenty of water snakes that serve the same function without being a threat to people and their pets.
Nice video, loved it... very educational and it came across in a good way, cottonmouths I always loved it how you couldn't see their eyes from the top of their head not that I would know anything about them...lol...
Excellent video and 2 wonderful young men. Be careful. I live in rural GA. WE VERY OFTEN have moccasin we live by a pond and farm fields where both cotton mouths and rat or water snakes live and also rattlesnakes. Rattle snakes don't always rattle and usually will retreat unless Ed they are cornered. Rat and water snakes will almost always retreat and will only strike if harassed. The moccasins on the other hand will in my experience just have attitude I have had them get in a boat and coil and NOT ESCAPE REGARDLESS OF THAT OPTION. I do not hunt snakes to kill them but when a venomous snake is in MY territory I will because I have animals and small children. Around. Every animal has a purpose and a right to habitat but for my safety and the safety of my family and animals I will eliminate a venomous snake. In addition to the body shape immature moccasins will have a yellow tail tip
As a kid mom always said watch out for 🐍. Was picking blackberries on Lake D'Arbonne. NEVER forget it bc I was at edge water wooded area. Reached blackberries & thought was a black pipe. I ALMOST moved it. I reached get 2 blackberries. That thing reared up i moved slowly as taught. It went into 💧swampy area. Never certain until NOW all these many years later. It WAS a Water Moccasin.
This video was well-done in all aspects from the pacing to the presentation of the information itself. You have a good vibe and the right timbre to do audio as well. Subbed and I wish you all the best in growing your channel:)
Thanks so much for this. I found my first snake recently, a worm snake in my yard, and I was in love. I'm an eighty year old woman determined to learn as much as I can about these beautiful animals.
I sorta feel sorry for the cottonmouth,They seem to be a little clumsy getting away and seen them trying to get away from people.I bought a place with 7 acres and a feeder creek ran thru it so it had some snakes I let them be,I didn't buy a place in the country then kill the critters,if you don't like critters then DON'T BUY IN THE COUNTRY DANG IT😡.
Great video. I recently moved to the usa. Where im from (Sardinia) we have no venomous snakes, I think we have only like 3 harmless kinds. I like to walk in the woods so I've been teaching myself how to tell apart the more dangerous snakes vs harmless. I live in Georgia now and we supposedly have some beautiful snakes, all I've seen so far are dekays and a copperhead
Man I’m bout to jump out my seat, I’m scratching and looking around y’all crazy ass hell I’m scared and I’m just sitting in the back porch….. y’all some brave lil dudes for real
