The cottonmouth rests, crawls, and swims with the head raised at an angle of 45 degrees, it has excellent vision and can detect movement at distances of at least 50 feet. Locomotion is usually in undulating curves. It has been noted that this snake practices "rib walking" in a straight line (Roger Conant) When the snake is disturbed it may dive and even burrow into the mud.  When threatened it will coil up and display the white lining of the mouth with its head thrown backward and jerks it nervously up and down. When it becomes annoyed by an aggressor it will vibrate its tail and at times discharge an acrid musk.

Hibernation of Agkistrodon piscivorus is either very brief or does not occur at all during the mild winters of the southeastern climate of the states. Pending on where the cotton mouth inhabits itself they seek shelter in crevices, decaying stumps or logs, clumps of vegetation, burrows of tortoises or rodents or any other suitable place.

The Cottonmouth is known to attack man when it is approached. It at times will charge its aggressor with an open mouth but this is more of a bluff than a pursuit. They have the potential to resist wildly when being captured and yet they readily become adapted to captivity.

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