SNAKES are commonplace in Kentucky rivers — but there are some rivers that are home to more of the slithery reptiles than others.

Snakes can be found in many of Kentucky’s waterways and river basins, but Cumberland River is one of the state’s largest rivers with a number of native snake species.

Running for over 688 miles, the Cumberland crisscrosses the western portion of the state, enriching the habitat along the way, according to AZ Animals.

A particularly deadly mix of snakes reside in the waters of the Cumberland River, however, including the deadly cottonmouth snake.

Also referred to as water moccasins for their appearance, cottonmouth snakes are venomous reptiles with a brown-and-black pattern with large scales.

The snakes are semi-aquatic and can live in various parts of the southeast but particularly thrive near waterways, according to LiveScience.com.

A single bite from a cottonmouth can prove fatal for humans who do not receive medical attention immediately.

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They usually reach between 30-48 inches in length but have been known to grow up to 78 inches.

Water moccasins are a type of pit viper, meaning they can sense their prey with a heat sensor between their eyes.

If bitten by a cottonmouth, people are advised to seek help and antivenom immediately — the sooner the antidote is taken, the less damage the poison will do to the body.

Bites are painful, experts say, and victims usually feel a burning sensation around the wound quickly after the strike.

The venom leads to “hemorrhaging throughout the circulatory system wherever the venom has spread,” Sara Viernu of The Wildlife Society wrote on LiveScience.com.

Getting bitten can cause “temporary and/or permanent tissue and muscle damage; loss of an extremity, depending on the location of the bite; internal bleeding; and extreme pain around the injection area,” she said.

Other types of snakes that live in the Cumberland River Basin include:

• Broad-banded water snakes
• Copper-bellied water snakes
• Eastern ribbon snakes
• Midland water snakes
• Northern water snakes
• Plain-bellied water snakes
• Timber rattlesnakes

About 7,000 to 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes in the U.S. each year — but only about five to six people die from their bites, according to the University of Florida.