When you look at this Agkistrodon piscivorus, you see the conceptualization of death in southern culture.

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Agkistrodon piscivorus, most commonly known under the names of cottonmouth and water moccasin, is a species of viper found in the Orma J. Smith Museum of History as a wet specimen. In its jar, the snake is posed coiled up with its jaws opened, which is a unique position in comparison to other wet snake specimens that normally have their mouths closed. This viper’s habitat lies mainly in the southeastern US; throughout time, it has influenced culture, beginning with Native American tribes to now. Often, the snake is metaphorical for death and misfortune when it is present in poetry, but simultaneously a figure of reverence and order when seen in mythology. When one encounters a water moccasin, one might fear it as one fears death, but, in the same manner as death, the viper is not inherently a malevolent force. The snake does not seek to bite; it only seeks to survive. While its deadliness is not the fault of the viper, the fact of the matter is that the water moccasin can be potentially dangerous to humanity and, consequently, is often punished before it can act. It is villainized and killed for being seen as an intruder on our territory, while we continue to intrude on the natural landscapes of the world. Despite this, the water moccasin acts as an equalizer in its ecosystem, a dangerous but necessary aspect of its environment, and is seen as an embodiment of the death it brings. All of these elements, physical and symbolical, create a parallel between the water moccasin and the complex imagery of death.