Homeowner relieved to get answers after mysterious snake camps out under sliding door

A nervous homeowner turned to Reddit after spotting a thick snake tucked beneath a sliding glass door and worrying that it might be a cottonmouth.

Commenters identified the reptile as a Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon conanti).

Help with ID - NE Florida
byu/give_me_ur_formuoli inwhatsthissnake

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The post appeared on Reddit's r/whatsthissnake forum, where the homeowner shared a photo of the animal resting beneath the door threshold and asked for help identifying it.

"I've had plenty of Cottonmouth come through my yard in the past but the Seek app says it's a Banded water snake," the user wrote.

They said that the snake had been lingering by the door while "a handful of anoles have been getting in the house," suggesting there may have been easy prey nearby.

"Would love to know whether or not this big beauty is venomous as it's been sitting under the threshold for my sliding glass door," the original poster added.

Commenters quickly reached a consensus: The animal was actually not a banded water snake but rather a Florida Cottonmouth. A "venomous semi-aquatic pitviper in eastern North America. Endemic to Florida, Southeastern Alabama, and Georgia," according to a comment by the thread's Natural History Bot.

Why does it matter?

The OP was misinformed by an app, and if they had trusted that with their life and attempted to touch the misidentified snake, then the story would have been vastly different.

This situation shows the value of consulting experts — or whatever you call Redditors nowadays — when identifying wildlife, rather than just trusting an app's algorithm. This is especially true if it concerns a potentially dangerous animal. 

Encounters like this are common in places where development overlaps with wetlands and other snake habitats. Homes can also attract the smaller creatures snakes hunt, creating the kind of chain reaction the homeowner described. Outdoor spaces that draw in lizards, frogs, or rodents can, in turn, attract predators.

Wildlife experts often stress identification and distance over panic. Knowing which species are dangerous can reduce unnecessary harm to animals and help homeowners respond more safely.

Several commenters found humor in the confidence of the snake, with one comment saying: "That first shot where he's just staring at you is so funny lol."

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