This Eastern Cottonmouth, also known as a water moccasin, was almost stepped on while conducting our DIY Cleanup Kickoff at Grayton Beach State Park nestled by the concrete rip-rap along Western Lake. This pit viper is semi-aquatic with a triangular head, dark line through the eye, and large jowls from venom sacs. They also have facial pits that sense heat and are used to detect prey and predators. Adults, like this one, are often dark and solid-colored while juveniles are brightly patterned. There are two subspecies of cottonmouth in Florida, the Florida Cottonmouth, and the Eastern Cottonmouth. Their name comes from the whiteness of the mouth interior that it exposes as a defensive display. This species is often confused with nonvenomous water snakes, but water snakes typically flee immediately, whereas cottonmouths frequently stand their ground and gape to deter a predator. Remember to keep a lookout underfoot!