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, as it has a wide distribution, large population, and high adaptability, though local populations can face threats from habitat loss and intentional killing.
Physical Description
Heavy-bodied snake with heavily keeled dorsal scales. Coloration typically consists of brownish, grayish, or reddish-brown backgrounds with dark crossbands on the neck region that transition into alternating dorsal and lateral blotches further down the body. The belly often features striking half-moon shaped markings. Head is distinct from the neck, and the eyes are set high on the head.
Size & Dimensions
Adult specimens typically range from 75 to 135 cm (30 to 53 inches) in total length, with females generally growing larger than males. The visible specimen appears to be a robust adult.
Habitat
Found primarily in or near permanent bodies of fresh water such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps, marshes, and bogs, often basking on logs or branches overhanging water.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily feeds on fish, amphibians, frogs, tadpoles, and occasionally crayfish or small mammals. Utilizes active foraging in shallow water and ambushing prey near the water's edge, consuming prey alive without constriction.
Reproduction
Viviparous (live-bearing), giving birth to litters typically ranging from 8 to over 50 young in late summer or early fall. Mating occurs in the spring after emerging from brumation.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with various species of copperheads and cottonmouths (Agkistrodon species) due to pattern and robust build, but can be distinguished by round pupils, lack of facial heat-sensing pits, the absence of a blocky triangular head shape, and different scale counts and patterns.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it has a wide distribution, large population, and high adaptability, though local populations can face threats from habitat loss and intentional killing.
Cultural Significance
Plays a vital ecological role in regulating amphibian and fish populations within wetland ecosystems, though it often suffers from human persecution due to misidentification.
Notable Features
Exhibits strong aquatic adaptations including nostrils and eyes positioned high on the head for viewing above water while submerged, and a defensive behavior involving flattening the head and body when threatened, along with releasing a foul-smelling musk.