Can You Spot the Venomous Snake Camouflaged Among the South Carolina Trees?

Senior Science Reporter

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Venomous cottonmouth snakes are notorious for their camouflage. In fact, if you live in the southeast U.S., you may have walked right past one without even realizing it.

Photographer Jeremy Ginn, of Rare Encounters Photography, has demonstrated just how elusive these animals can be. In a post on Facebook, Ginn shared a photo of camouflaged cottonmouth hidden among the trees in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Can you spot it?

Hiding snake — Can you spot the cottonmouth snake hiding in this picture? The photograph of the venomous animal was taken by Jeremy Ginn, of Rare Encounters Photography. Rare Encounters Photography/Facebook

"The snake was released from a relocation call, and immediately it went to the base of the tree to hide," Ginn told Newsweek. "I have a pretty good eye for snakes, as I look for them quite often, and do a lot of snake education in person, as well as on social media."

There are 38 species of snake in South Carolina, only six of which are venomous. These are the copperheads, the coral snakes, the cottonmouths, the pygmy rattlesnakes, the eastern diamond rattlesnakes and the timber rattlesnakes.

Cottonmouths—also known as water moccasins—typically live in the sandhills and coastal plain regions of the state, according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The reptiles are usually found in swamps, streams, floodplains and other wetland habitats.

Adult cottonmouths tend to grow to between 3 and 4 feet in length, with vague black or dark brown crossbands along their tan brown bodies.

Cottonmouth venom contains a potent blood toxin that can be deadly to humans, but bites from this species are extremely rare. "Studies have shown these snakes are reluctant to bite, even when closely approached," Ginn said. "They see humans as a large predator and want little to do with us.

Cottonmouth showing open mouth — When cottonmouths feel threatened, they will display the white insides of their mouths, hence their name. But photographer Ginn told Newsweek that the snakes are reluctant to bite humans. Rare Encounters Photography/Facebook

"Cottonmouths, when approached, will first attempt to flee if possible," Ginn added. "If this isn't possible, they will vibrate their tail into the leaf litter, and gape open their mouth. This defensive measure is how they got their name. The white mouth stands in contrast to the dark body, and basically says, 'Hey, I'm right here.'"

Biting is an absolute last resort that usually only happens if the snakes are stepped on or handled.

"Many people think these snakes will chase you, or bite without provocation," Ginn said. "In reality, they are slow, and uncoordinated snakes, and chasing is a myth that has never been documented in many years of study by herpetologists, and from my personal experience with hundreds of these snakes."

Hundreds of users have tried to find the snake in Ginn's photo. "My followers did pretty well at finding this one," he said.

Were you able to find it?

Cottonmouth snake hiding — The blue ring shows where the venomous snake is hiding. Rare Encounters Photography/Facebook

To stay safe in snake country, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources recommends keeping to trails that offer good visibility of the ground and keeping your distance from any snakes you may find on the path.

Do you have an animal or nature story to share with Newsweek? Do you have a question about snakes? Let us know via nature@newsweek.com.