Our Class Mascot: The Cottonmouth Snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus)
After being able to enjoy and learn at the various sites throughout the semester, I still feel connected to the first field trip to Caw Caw County Park. It was the first time I've ever gotten a chance to really look at herps in the field, and I must say it was a wonderful experience. The first field trip is very near and dear to me, and I could never forget the moment when I laid eyes on the beautiful cottonmouth. The whole class was amazed, as we were impatient from the beginning to catch at least a glimpse of a cool snake. This by far exceeded our expectations and was one the most memorable moments the class experienced. Because of this, I feel the cottonmouth should be our class mascot.
The cottonmouth is notable for its deadly venom and forceful bite, and is one that shouldn't be messed with. It's very unique and can easily be recognized due to its facial pits, broad head, elliptical eyes, and front fangs. These qualities in this snake makes it all the more beautiful and mesmerizing, however it should be considered as our mascot because even these snakes are looked down upon by some. These snakes are dangerous, however their danger is overly exaggerated making people fearful of them, which may also lead them to kill or harm the snakes. This is very detrimental to the species and also the environment. People should be aware of these snakes, however they should also be encouraged to not harm them in anyway as this could be detrimental to their population as conservation is quite difficult and species loss is on the rise.
The cottonmouth should be considered for our class mascot. Not only is this animal beautiful, it is quite unique and has some amazing qualities that makes it one of the most amazing species I've ever encountered. I was truly amazed, and I hope that with this as our mascot, others will appreciate it just as much as our class did.
2 comments:
A strong contender!
I almost chose this guy as our mascot too! But I couldn't go with the poisonous fella. Caw Caw was my first real experience with herps in the field too, the images of the cottonmouth on the boardwalk are still vivid as ever (Tuesday group lab).
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