Plain-bellied Watersnake
Nerodia erythrogaster • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia erythrogaster
Found in the southeastern and central United States, extending from Texas and Louisiana east to Florida and north to the southern Great Lakes region and parts of the Midwest.
Look up Plain-bellied Watersnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia erythrogaster
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it has a wide distribution and generally stable populations, though local populations face threats from wetland drainage, habitat fragmentation, and vehicular mortality.
Physical Description
Features a robust body with strongly keeled scales, a distinct pattern of dark crossbands or blotches on the anterior portion that may fade into a uniform brownish, grey, or olive coloration posteriorly, and a pale yellow, orange, or reddish belly without dark markings. The head is slightly distinct from the neck with round pupils.
Size & Dimensions
The pictured specimen appears to be an adult around 30 to 40 inches in length. Typical adult size ranges from 30 to 48 inches (76 to 122 cm), with a maximum recorded length exceeding 150 cm.
Habitat
Inhabits aquatic environments such as swamps, marshes, ponds, lakes, slow-moving rivers, and cypress sloughs, often spending time basking on logs, branches, or muddy banks near water.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily feeds on aquatic prey including fish, amphibians, frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders, using active foraging in shallow water and seizing prey with the jaws.
Reproduction
Viviparous (live-bearing), giving birth to litters typically ranging from 10 to 30 or more young in late summer or early autumn, with mating occurring in the spring.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus) due to similar habitats and dark banding, but can be distinguished by round pupils, lack of facial pits, a different head shape, and a tendency to flee rather than stand ground with an open-mouth display.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it has a wide distribution and generally stable populations, though local populations face threats from wetland drainage, habitat fragmentation, and vehicular mortality.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in wetland food webs by regulating amphibian and fish populations, though it frequently suffers from human persecution due to misidentification.
Notable Features
Exhibits semi-aquatic specializations including dorsal placement of nostrils and eyes, highly keeled scales, and the ability to flatten its body and release a foul-smelling musk when disturbed.
Notes
Noon. Beside water