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Eastern Cotton Mouth Snake

By Rudy Mancke
Published March 6, 2020 at 5:30 AM EST
An eastern cottonmouth snake, agkistrodon piscivorus
Geoff Gallice, Gainesville, FL; via Wikimedia Commons
An Eastern Cottonmouth snake, agkistrodon piscivorus

The Eastern cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) a venomous snake, is a species of pit viper in the subfamily Crotalinae of the family Viperidae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States. This is the world's only semiaquatic viper, usually found in or near water, particularly in slow-moving and shallow lakes, streams, and marshes.

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Rudy Mancke
Rudy Mancke served as naturalist and co-host of South Carolina ETV's <i>NatureScene</i>, which began its long run in 1978. His field trips, broadcast nationwide, earned him a legion of dedicated viewers. Rudy's knowledge of the complex inner-workings of different ecosystems and his great admiration for the natural world make him the perfect guide. In fact, the National Wildlife Federation and the Garden Club of America honored his commitment to resource conservation with special awards. After retiring from SCETV, Rudy went on to become naturalist-in-residence at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He hosted SC Public Radio's <i>NatureNotes</i> from 1999 until his death in 2023 at age 78.
See stories by Rudy Mancke