Can a water moccasin or cottonmouths bite while in or underwater?

Question

Can a water moccasin or cottonmouths bite while in or underwater?

Answer 1

There is an old wives tale that says they have to surface to bite....this is WRONG.  They are capable of biting under water, although this is usually a defensive reaction.  They don't tend to actually "attack" from beneath the surface, but, again, this is not an "always" thing.

Answer 2

Sure, if they're mad enough.