Rediscovery of the Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) in Southeastern Kansas

Abstract

The western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) was first reported from Kansas by Hall and Smith (1947) on the basis of an adult male specimen (KU 23284) captured by H. H. Hall during 1937 in the Neosho River due east of Chetopa, Labette County. Smith (1950, 1956) considered the western cottonmouth a part of the Kansas herpetofauna on the basis of this same specimen. Burkett (1966), also on the basis of this record, included Kansas within the range of the species and commented (p. 443) that for it was probably available along the Neosho and Verdigris ri\zers in the southeastern part of Collins (1974:242) deleted the western cottonmouth from the Kansas herpetofauna because, after 36 years, no additional specimens had been secured in the well-collected southeastern part of the state. Collins (1974:242) did, however, statethat suitable habitat forthisspecies was present in southeastern Kansas. The presence of the western cottonmouth in southwestern Missouri (Hall and Smith, 1947; Anderson, 1965) and northeastern Oklahoma (Webb, 1970) is well documented. These records, plus the availability of stillwater in southeastern Kansas (Burkett, 1966; Collins, 1974), were sufficient evidence to suggest that this species might eventually be red iscovered in the state. On 26 July 1976, Tony Hurt (Cherryvale, Kansas) collected an adult western cottonmouth (Fig. 1) along the Verdigris River approximately 400yards downstream from the U.S. Rt. 160 bridge, just east of Independence, Montgomery County, Kansas. The specimen (KU 170521) was found on the bank of the river in a shaded area at approximately 1615 hours. This snake represents the second example of the western cottonmouth from Kansas, and is approximately 30 miles WNW of the earlier record of Hall and Smith (1947) for the Neosho River in Labette County