Common Watersnake
Nerodia sipedon • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia sipedon
Eastern and central North America, ranging from southern Canada down through the eastern United States to the Gulf Coast and west to Kansas and Oklahoma.
Look up Common Watersnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia sipedon
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, facing local threats primarily from habitat loss, road mortality, and deliberate persecution by humans.
Physical Description
Displays dark crossbands on the anterior portion of the body that transition to alternating blotches further down the back and tail. Ground color can be brown, gray, reddish, or tan, often darkening with age. The scales are heavily keeled, giving a rough texture, and the head is distinct from the neck with dark markings on the labial scales.
Size & Dimensions
Adult length typically ranges from 75 to 135 cm (30 to 53 inches), with females generally growing larger than males.
Habitat
Found primarily in and near permanent freshwater habitats such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps, and sluggish water bodies. Prefers areas with ample basking sites like logs, rocks, or overhanging branches near water.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds predominantly on fish, amphibians, crayfish, and occasionally small mammals or birds. Uses active foraging and ambushing techniques near water margins to capture prey.
Reproduction
Viviparous (live-bearing), giving birth to litters typically ranging from 8 to over 50 young in late summer or early autumn.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, facing local threats primarily from habitat loss, road mortality, and deliberate persecution by humans.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in controlling amphibian and fish populations in aquatic ecosystems, though frequently subjected to unwarranted killing due to misidentification.
Notable Features
Exhibits a strong tendency to bask on branches suspended directly over water, allowing for rapid escape by dropping into the water when disturbed.