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Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perch?
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by piscivorus1234 on September 5, 2007
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I was out in the swamp today and noticed something that I've never really thought about; the larger cottonmouths normally rest on spots 2-3' above the water while the smaller ones are almost exclusively found inches away from the water.
Now, this only concerns resting animals that aren't really sunbathing and definitely aren't hunting, just simply resting.
I saw 23 cottonmouths today, 12 were 3' or larger and the other 11 were less than 3' (smallest was about 2').
ALL of the larger cottons were at least 2' above the water, while the smaller ones were usually on the land clumped around trees above standing water or on small branches just above the water.
In this area, they all seem to prefer fish, so they all hunt fish on the edge of channels in much the same way, latch onto something just above the water and get the fish when it swims by, so it has nothing to do with hunting/ambush spots.
I've also noticed that whether it's sunny and 100 degrees or cloudy and 70 degrees, the snakes seem to act in the same manner.
The terrain is also constantly changing and from year to year, most of these perches have rotted and fallen or are replaced by other fallen trees.
I thought that maybe these big guys were simply more experienced and new that safety came from being away from the water (snapping turtles, small mammals, other snakes).
Another theory is that maybe it has something to do with thermoregulation. I couldn't really see a reason that heat would be rising from the water since it was 75 degrees and the air was 95, but it stands to reason that maybe being further off the water allowed them to receive more warmth/less cool air that may be coming off of the water.
Could it have to do with being larger and dominant?
Older and better at finding the best resting places?
Large enough to sit where they want since herons and other birds of prey will usually not bother a larger snake?
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by LarryDFishel on September 5, 2007
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When you say that the larger snakes are "2-3' above the water", do you mean on higher ground, back from the water's edge or do you mean in tree branches "above" the water?
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by piscivorus1234 on September 5, 2007
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Above the water but IN the swamp (water is about 1-2' deep in all directions for about 100 yards).
Usually it's a fallen tree, branches, etc, that they're on.
This swamp is like a flooded forest basically, mostly black tupelo trees with a few hardwoods mixed in, and when they fall they make perfect perches with the trunks (if they're large) or the upright limbs themselves.
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by Rob_Carmichael on September 5, 2007
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Interesting observations. Could be dominance. Also, larger snakes have more body mass and as such, require more energy (sun) to thermoregulate. Resting higher off the ground puts the snakes closer to the energy source allowing them to generate more heat quickly - sheer speculation but seems to make sense.
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by LarryDFishel on September 5, 2007
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Just to be obnoxiously literal...
2 feet is about 0.0000000004% closer to the energy source. Probably not significant... :)
Having less stuff between you and the energy source could be significant though, which I'm sure is what you meant...
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by Rob_Carmichael on September 6, 2007
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Percentages can be misleading though. Yes, the actual percentage of usable energy is probably minimal when you look at these perfentages, however, as you mentioned, there are less obstructions to that energy source, AND, perhaps more significantly, the ground level temps, even two feet below a higher basking area, can be quite dramatic. A friend of mine did some intercoil temp studies with timber rattlesnakes to look at behavioral patterns. I don't have the study in front of me but the actual number of degrees F/or C. was exponentially higher just a few inches off the direct contact of ground cover. As far as these cottonmouths go, might make for an interesting study of its own.
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by earthguy on September 6, 2007
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In my wanderings I have found the opposite to be true. I tend to find the 'bigguns' closer to (or usually in) the water. Interesting.
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by LarryDFishel on September 6, 2007
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Maybe it's just a factor of the availible resting spots. If there are only very small spots of land (swamp) and plenty of fallen logs above the water, they just may be the only dry spots availible that are comfortable for the larger snakes, while the smaller ones can fit on the small patches of land?
Rob, I know there are a number of factors that can make it warmer farther from the ground. I was just razzing you about the wording that made it sound like it was because they were closer to the sun... (It reminded me of George Carlin's theory that that was why the cereal around the edge of the bowl dried out faster.)
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by piscivorus1234 on September 6, 2007
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Well, the best/largest areas to rest are mostly down low. There are clumps of land between trees but the large ones are never there, only the smaller ones. It may not happen until next year, but I wanna get some temp readings of these spots and gather more data on who is resting where.
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RE: Do larger cottons prefer a higher resting perc
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by Cro on September 6, 2007
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Piscivorus, if you take a folding chair out there and sit quietly up on the bank above the Cottonmouths, and don't move too much, and wait until almost before dark, you will see the same snakes enter the water and start to hunt.
You will also see a very definite territoriality behavior among the various snakes that use that area, as they swim around and hunt for food. It will become quickly obvious that some of the snakes are dominant in that habitat, and others are not dominant.
You might also be able to draw conclusions that compare the dominance of individual snakes in basking areas, compared to swimming / hunting areas.
It takes a lot of patience, and a video camera would be a good thing to take along. If you are able to keep up with the individual snakes, you will see which ones are king of the pond, and will be able to compare that with king of the perching locations. I think you will find some very dominant individuals which utilise both the best areas of the hunting area, and the best basking spots day after day.
Best Regards JohnZ
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