Best Time to See Cottonmouths in the US
April, May and October is the best time to see cottonmouths in the United States. This is a national picture built from 22,932 verified iNaturalist observations across 16 states, showing when and where cottonmouths are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
22,932 verified observations of cottonmouths in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When cottonmouths are recorded in the US
Peak month
April
3,860 records (16.8% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 253 | 1.1% |
| February | 413 | 1.8% |
| March | 2,029 | 8.8% |
| Aprilpeak | 3,860 | 16.8% |
| Maypeak | 3,392 | 14.8% |
| June | 2,574 | 11.2% |
| July | 1,958 | 8.5% |
| August | 1,817 | 7.9% |
| September | 2,678 | 11.7% |
| Octoberpeak | 2,907 | 12.7% |
| November | 714 | 3.1% |
| December | 337 | 1.5% |
Cottonmouths you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Northern Cottonmouth | 22,931 |
Across the country, cottonmouths sightings peak in April, when 3,860 of the 22,932 annual observations are logged, about 16.8% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through April, May and October.
The best states to see cottonmouths by recorded sightings are Texas (8,104), Illinois (2,715), Louisiana (2,044), Alabama (1,809) and South Carolina (1,421). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The cottonmouths you are most likely to encounter nationwide are Northern Cottonmouth, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see cottonmouths
- cottonmouths in Texas8,104 sightings, peak April
- cottonmouths in Illinois2,715 sightings, peak October
- cottonmouths in Louisiana2,044 sightings, peak April
- cottonmouths in Alabama1,809 sightings, peak April
- cottonmouths in South Carolina1,421 sightings, peak May
- cottonmouths in Arkansas1,339 sightings, peak May
- cottonmouths in North Carolina1,212 sightings, peak June
- cottonmouths in Mississippi1,003 sightings, peak April
- cottonmouths in Tennessee869 sightings, peak April
- cottonmouths in Virginia842 sightings, peak May
- cottonmouths in Oklahoma654 sightings, peak April
- cottonmouths in Georgia529 sightings, peak May
- cottonmouths in Missouri170 sightings, peak April
- cottonmouths in Kentucky116 sightings, peak April
- cottonmouths in Florida103 sightings, peak May
Most-recorded cottonmouths species nationwide
- Northern Cottonmouth22,931 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see cottonmouths in the US?+
April is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through April, May and October, based on 22,932 verified observations across 16 states.
Which states are best for seeing cottonmouths?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are Texas, Illinois and Louisiana. Texas leads with 8,104 verified observations.
How many cottonmouths sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 22,932 verified cottonmouths observations are logged on iNaturalist across 16 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of cottonmouths live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are Northern Cottonmouth, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.