From Missouri to Central Ohio to Pennsylvania,many People Believe That

From Missouri to central Ohio to Pennsylvania,many people believe that they have water moccasins ("cottonmouth snakes") in their farm ponds.Many have "seen them" although they are not so foolish as to try to capture one alive.Meanwhile,the wildlife officers and the range maps in the herpetology books say that cottonmouths do not breed this far north.What is the most scientific attitude to assume on this issue?

A) Observations by both the public and the fish and game officers are subjective so this is not possible to resolve objectively
B) A field trip to the pond locations to capture and confirm the identity of the snakes would settle the matter
C) Scientific books with range maps are based on field research and,therefore,determine the truth in this case
D) Because living organisms are active,scientific theories in biology always change and the older books are therefore wrong