Venomous. Aquatic. Black or with dark, obscured patterning. Dark stripe from nostril to neck. Labial scales lighter and without vertical bars. Heat-sensing pits. Pupils elliptical. May gape white “cotton mouth” when disturbed. Buoyant swimmer. Juveniles with bold pattern contrast and bright yellowish-green tail. 
Arkansas Herpetological Atlas 2019
This species is represented by 896 records from 39 sources: 577 museum (
), 0 literature (
), 0 research (
), and 272 observation (
), with 47 additional Trauth et al. (2004) locality points remaining unsourced (
). It has been museum vouchered for 66 of 75 counties (), with 5 additional counties having other forms of reported occurrence (). Years of collection range from 1892 to present.
This species occurs statewide.
