Northern 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 the Great Plains.
Look up Northern 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, with stable populations across the majority of its native range.
Physical Description
Robust body with heavily keeled scales giving it a rough texture. Coloration typically consists of brownish, grayish, or reddish base with dark crossbands on the neck and alternating dark blotches on the back and sides. The belly often features striking red, black, or white half-moon markings.
Size & Dimensions
Estimated specimen length is around 75 to 90 cm. Typical adult size ranges from 75 to 135 cm (30 to 53 inches), with females generally growing larger than males.
Habitat
Found primarily in or near permanent bodies of fresh water such as streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, and swamps. They prefer areas with abundant basking sites like logs, rocks, or shoreline vegetation.
Diet & Feeding
Diet consists primarily of fish, amphibians, crayfish, and occasionally small mammals or birds. They are active foragers that hunt primarily along water margins, using tactile and chemical cues to locate prey.
Reproduction
Viviparous (giving birth to live young). Mating occurs in the spring, and females typically give birth to a litter of 8 to 50+ young in late summer or early autumn.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, with stable populations across the majority of its native range.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in controlling amphibian and fish populations in aquatic ecosystems. Frequently misunderstood and killed out of fear of being mistaken for other species.
Notable Features
Known for flattening their heads when cornered and releasing a foul-smelling musk from cloacal glands.