I had a visitor yesterday while working in the garden tending my  figs.

I have a pretty good idea of who she is but would like confirmation from someone more familiar with reptiles.

When I first saw her she had a mouthful of frog but swallowed quickly to better make her getaway. What a beautiful specimen!

By the way, we are near water.

I'ma going with this fella http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=water+moccasins&view=detail&id=0D6D06F650539D4AB7C3C53F7D31400CBA728569&first=0

Rut roh!

Yeah, look at the diamond head in the first shot. Also, it did not seem very afraid of you. I have never seen one, but caught a copperhead when I was a kid without knowing what it was. That SOB yawned and I was like WOW, THOSE ARE BIG FANGS! What was I thinking?

Looks like you got yourself more that a water moccasin, you have yourself a CottonMouth Moccasin. One of the few poisonous snakes in the south, especially near water. They are not afraid of you and will attack you if you come close. Steer clear or dispatch.
"gene"

I'm pretty sure it was NOT a water moccasin based on a couple of things.

She was by no means aggressive. The first thing she did to was to slither under some black plastic and curl up. When prodded, she quickly made her getaway. I didn't get too close, but could not see any large pits on her snout nor cotton in her mouth. I think it was a black/brown water snake. These snakes also have an arrow shaped head, but are non poisonous. Earlier in the day I saw an even bigger one but didn't have my camera. Spring time in Tallahassee!

Here's one I found in google images:

Sure looks like a cottonmouth to me. Check the eyes. If it has a round pupil, then it is a non-venomous water snake. If the eye is a slit, best stay away from it because it is a mocc. Beautiful but deadly. And it might have not been aggressive because you caught it dining. Be careful, they like to get up into trees as well.

The head in the first pic sure is triangular looking. Better to be extra careful than sorry with a wrong ID.

We have rattlers here (and gopher and king snakes) and they do take away some of the carefree aspects of gardening.

Just spoke with a couple of people at work who know snakes and they vote for.... mocassin.

I hate when that happens.

Im glad I live in Canada for once lol.

I grew up and live in rattlesnake country. I don't mind them around [most of the time] because they want to stay out of your way and give you as much warning as possible. However, from what I have heard, Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin are more aggressive.

I can tell you without a doubt that is a Cottonmouth-Water Moccasin.  I see them all to often.  It is a pit-viper as others have said the head and eyes give it away.  I don't mess with those snakes they get the hoe.  Very aggressive and deadly.  Wish you'd had distroyed that snake...  The water snake would have a long slinder head. Be careful in that enviorment where they are boss.

Watch where you step. If there is one, there may be more. One summer when I was home from college, I worked at a lumber yard. We used to find the cottonmouth babies under boards. They'd snap right at our steel-toed boots. Not more than 5 inches long but they really had no fear.

We've got them here in NC, as well as copperheads and rattlesnakes. Love the state and its climate, not a fan of the snakes though. I always do a quick scan of the yard before my son plays. Better safe.

 To me it is the very common, Red Belly/banded Water snake.
All I could see was the head shape, but not the coloration around eyes/face. They will bite you. One struck me in the Suwanee river/ Panhandle of Fla. Like getting scratched badly by Greenbriars / Smilex. Not poison.
   But, unless you truly know your snakes, be careful.
 Fredfig

Sometimes, and not very often, I'm glad I live in New York City!  The snakes here have two legs.  They've evolved.

Frank

Lmao frank those 2 legged snakes are just as venomous.

I vote for a Cottonmouth.  The picture with it's head tells you it's a poisonous snake. That's a good sized one, be very careful around them.

I am going to have to change my answer to brown water snake, check out this picture.

Better picture with no wierdos in it.

Brent, that's pretty damned scary!

Why'd you have go and post a picture of Carrot Top so early in the morning?

Right back at you,

Seriously, though.....

Here's my first brown water snake/cottonmouth from more than 10 years ago when I was clearing the area of brush. 

I don't know, even though I live in Florida under the  (in my opinion...barbaric), 'Stand Your Ground'  law, I have misgivings about killing any snake, including a cottonmouth. Any creature that gives humans the willies gains my  respect in more ways than one.

Wow! Carrot Top must have gotten bitten. Look how swollen he looks. Sorry, couldn't help it. The man looks like the love child of Ronald McDonald and the Hulk.

I'm no fan of killing snakes either. They serve a purpose. But if it is venomous, getting rid of it would be necessary to ensure safety in my yard. And I'm not scooping it up into a bucket for relocation.

Sorry Frank, I bet that snake was scared too. I would call for a rescue if I saw a Carrot Top. They are native to Florida so be careful!

Well, I showed the two pics to a guy that milks poisonous snakes routinely.  He says no doubt in his mind you have a fine looking Cottonmouth on your property.  He said as others have written, if that snake had just not eaten lunch, he would have showed you some of his other talents!  He mainly milks rattler's but he has two cottonmouths and he, like the nut he is, said he would have sure like to have caught that one...   I Guess I should be thankful someone likes to do that job so we have snake anti-venom available when we need it.  I sure hope you own a hoe or a 22.  We have so many problems with snakes and with the light winter we had they are plentiful this year.  Copperhead's are first on our list followed by timber-rattler's.  YUCK to all of them!

I was joking about the red headed "weirdo" being Carrot Top, but it actually is the real Carrot Top. Link below:

http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/blog/carrottop.html

More interesting however is what the animal control guy had to say about the snake and Carrot Top. 

Excerpts:

Used to live in the boonies and have killed many venomous snakes as a kid gathering firewood for mum. The small ones like the size of dew worms are so hard to spot in wood piles. I remember as a kid I was baby sitting my sis who was less than a year old and mum ran from the kitchen to the front entrance with a stick. I was sitting on floor with sis in my arms and this big black snake slitter  pass me very fast. I asked mum why she never shout about the snake. She said, she did not want to spook  me when little sis was in my arms. I was 7 yrs old.

Snakes was a bad problem and not sure whether it works or not, mum would lined the house sides with sulphur often to ward off snakes. We keep geese like watch dogs for snakes.There were so many around & we kill them because of safety issues. Many times we have to call uncle or neighbours to flush snakes out from the house.

I have seen some huge fat King cobras that are at least over 8ft long while fishing in streams. I stay away from the big ones unless I have a shotgun.