On Seahorse Key in Florida, there can be hundreds of vipers in one single area! How do they thrive there with no fresh water and with few mammals to feed on? See the story and a picture of a cottonmouth snake ready to strike here:
http://macrocosm-magbook.blogspot.com/
2007-04-24 20:46:02 · 5 answers · asked by alvinwriter 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
About 600 vipers live around the 67-hectare island. Wow. Also known as Cedar Keys. I think it has something to do with:
The island contains some of the largest heron, egret, brown pelican, and ibis nesting colonies in the south. Over 200,000 nesting birds have been recorded in past peak years including 8,000 white ibis. Current populations number 10,000 or more.
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_nwr/fl_cedar.htm
It's also a watersnake, so anything living in the water is food.
The diet includes other snakes, fish, lizards, turtles, frogs, small birds and alligators and mammals.
2007-04-24 22:50:48 · answer #1 · answered by Unicornrider 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Always look at the original story: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070416-cottonmouth.html
A few minor points-
- Cottonmouths don't eat all that much mammalian food- mostly fish, amphibians, other reptiles including snakes, etc.
- Cottonmouths also might get all the water they need from the fish they eat since a lot of their hunting grounds are brackish ponds and estuaries.
2007-04-25 06:35:03 · answer #2 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Excellent
2016-05-18 02:01:11 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Snakes don't need fresh water to survive. They usually like damp areas like marshes.
2007-04-24 20:52:34 · answer #4 · answered by Dr Dee 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it has something to do with wacking day.
2007-04-24 20:49:33 · answer #5 · answered by cardinal 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋