@Borer_the_explorer
I have encountered the aggressive type of water mocassin in southern missouri and arkansas. Its not all folklore. They odly seem like a different type much darker in color. The markings are there but harder to see but the big fat body is unmistakable. This photo is them exactly A Mass Emergence of Cottonmouths - Observation of the Week, 4/21/19 · iNaturalist
The ones in the corner of the state of kansas on the oklahoma border are not nearly as aggressive and lighter in color. They all stand their ground. Never saw them run. I get around a bit. There is no mistaking them! The ones in Kansas are more like this which may just be juveniles or another type Virginia woman snaps stunning photo of venomous cottonmouth snake baring its fangs | Fox News
The cottonmouth is rare here Be Snake Savvy and Be Safe In the Outdoors / 7-19-18 / 2018 Weekly News / News Archive / News / KDWPT Info / KDWPT - KDWPT
I do think i saw them in coffeyville kansas near oklahoma but due to the color i may have misidentified it.
The male copperheads ive always found to be lethargic but the females seem to get nasty tempered at times. Copperheads are less aggressive. The males are very red in comparison to females and much easier to see than females. Had a huge problem at a creek here with a bunch of copperheads being highly agrressive and i never did figure out what it was about. Sometimes they are but they ate worse here in early spring during flooding april-may https://www.livescience.com/43641-copperhead-snake.html
Here is missouri documenting the ones i see https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/northern-cottonmouth
This snake is frequently misifentified as a cottonmouth in Kansas https://journalstar.com/sports/local/outdoors/no-water-moccasins-in-nebraska/article_4c12e505-62c6-533d-897a-ca4cee345251.html but its mouth is not pointed up, tail is skinny, thinner body so the difference is obvious to me. When i see that mouth straight up i feel a chill down my neck.
By the way where i thought i saw a cottonmouth in kansas experts say they are not there Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas
There could be a lookalike in kansas that sticks its mouth up because it was lighter color but i was convinced. It was beside the road during flooding. I think your right most people dont know types of snakes from Jersey cows lol. I can see a slight faint pattern on cottonmouth but many experts say there is not one (i disagree). These are what they are like in oklahoma (non dry parts) which is very different from Missouri Cottonmouth's Habitat Limited in Oklahoma . In all fairness where i thought i saw a cottonmouth in kansas is only 30 minutes or so away from where they have been confirmed. Here is more on cottonmouth range Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) - Species Profile
The flooding was likely the Verdigris River but im not sure of that. Coffeyville is in montgomery county ks and confirmed cottonmouths are in cherokee county kansas at the bottom of the map by oklahoma. Further up on the map you see douglas county where the douglas pear is from. Stayman Winesap is a triploid apple cultivar developed in 1866 by Joseph of Leavenworth County adjacent to douglas county.
Back to watercress if we can grow an in soil cress it might be a better choice than water cress to avoid liver flukes. The flukes attack goats etc. as well im told