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 from habitat loss and human persecution.
Physical Description
Dark brown, grey, or reddish-brown with darker crossbands on the neck and alternating blotches down the back, featuring heavily keeled scales and a stout body.
Size & Dimensions
Adults typically range from 65 to 135 cm in total length, with females generally larger than males.
Habitat
Found almost exclusively near permanent freshwater habitats such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, and swamps, utilizing rocks, logs, and banks for basking.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on fish and amphibians, employing an active foraging and ambush strategy near water.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous species, producing litters of 10 to 50 young born in late summer or early autumn.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with various species of venomous pit vipers due to coloration and defensive posturing, but lacks facial pits and vertical pupils.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, facing local threats from habitat loss and human persecution.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in controlling aquatic and amphibian populations in freshwater ecosystems.
Notable Features
Displays a strong habit of basking on elevated objects above water and will readily release foul-smelling musk when handled.