Common Watersnake (Northern Watersnake)
Nerodia sipedon • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia sipedon
Central and Eastern North America, ranging from Southern Ontario and Quebec through the eastern half of the United States, as far south as North Carolina and as far west as Colorado.
Look up Common Watersnake (Northern Watersnake) in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia sipedon
Conservation
IUCN Status: Least Concern. Generally abundant throughout its range, though sometimes persecuted by humans who mistake them for venomous species.
Physical Description
Thick-bodied snake with heavily keeled scales. Coloration is typically brown to grayish with dark crossbands near the head that break into alternating dorsal and lateral blotches further down the body. The head is relatively flat and wide, and the pupils are round.
Size & Dimensions
This specimen appears to be an adult approximately 3 feet (90 cm) in length. Typical adult size ranges from 24 to 42 inches (60–107 cm), with a maximum recorded length of about 55 inches.
Habitat
Highly aquatic; commonly found in ponds, lakes, rivers, marshes, and canals. They prefer slow-moving water with ample basking spots such as rocks or logs, from sea level to mountainous elevations.
Diet & Feeding
primarily piscivorous (fish eaters) and ranivorous (amphibian eaters). They are active foragers that hunt along the water's edge and underwater, swallowing prey alive without constriction.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Breeding occurs in spring, and females give birth to 15 to 30 young in late summer or early autumn.
Look-alikes
Commonly confused with the venomous Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus), but distinguished by round pupils (Cottonmouths have vertical slits), the absence of a heat-sensing pit, and labial scales with dark vertical bars.
Conservation Status
IUCN Status: Least Concern. Generally abundant throughout its range, though sometimes persecuted by humans who mistake them for venomous species.
Cultural Significance
Crucial for wetland ecosystems as they control populations of fish and amphibians. They are frequently misunderstood and killed due to leur superficial resemblance to Agkistrodon species.
Notable Features
Possesses anticoagulant properties in its saliva that causes bite wounds to bleed more than typical small scratches. They are one of the most frequently encountered snakes by boaters and fishermen in North America.