Plain-bellied Watersnake
Nerodia erythrogaster • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia erythrogaster
Found primarily in the southeastern and south-central United States, extending north into parts of the Midwest and east to the coastal plains.
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, facing local threats mainly from habitat loss, wetland drainage, and human persecution.
Physical Description
Dark brown to nearly black dorsal coloration, sometimes showing faint darker crossbands or blotches, with strongly keeled scales giving a rough texture, a moderately stout body, and a distinct head that is slightly wider than the neck.
Size & Dimensions
Specimens typically range from 76 to 122 cm (30 to 48 inches) in total length, with maximum records exceeding 140 cm.
Habitat
Inhabits permanent and temporary bodies of fresh water such as rivers, streams, swamps, marshes, bogs, and ponds, often found basking on logs or rocks near the water's edge.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on fish, amphibians (such as frogs and salamanders), and occasionally crayfish, using active foraging and grasping prey rather than constriction.
Reproduction
Viviparous, giving birth to live young typically in late summer, with average litters ranging from 10 to 30 offspring.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, facing local threats mainly from habitat loss, wetland drainage, and human persecution.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in controlling populations of aquatic prey species and amphibians within wetland ecosystems.
Notable Features
Known for flattening their bodies when cornered and releasing a foul-smelling musk from cloacal glands.