QUESTION: Will a bite from this snake kill you?
ANSWER: YES.
The snake pictured, though not in its most iconic pose, is an eastern cottonmouth (AKA a water moccasin).
These snakes produce a potent venom which can most certainly be deadly without medical treatment.
“Cottonmouth venom is composed mainly of hemotoxins that break down blood cells, preventing the blood from clotting or coagulating,” according to herpetologist Sara Viernum.
Deaths from cottonmouths are rare, because antivenins for the cottonmouth’s bite are widely available.
Photo: DavidW, Flickr