water moccassins
Posted by bruce koerth on August 19, 2006
Q: Are there water moccassins in east central kansas? In the Lawrence, KS area.
Habitat: pond/lake
State: Kansas
Habitat: pond/lake
A: Cottonmouths (Water Moccassins) do not occur in Douglas County. Several were recorded from Montgomery Co in the mid-1970s, but these animals were deliberately released and never established a breeding population. Cottonmouths do occur naturally in the extreme southeastern portion of the state in the Spring River drainage of eastern Cherokee Co.
I grew up in Lawrence and only saw Copperheads and Timber Rattlesnakes (rarely) in the surrounding countryside. Further west I encountered Prairie Rattlesnakes and Massasauga Rattlesnakes. Kansas is a great place for reptiles!
Solon Morse ( August 19, 2006)