Plain-bellied Watersnake
Nerodia erythrogaster • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia erythrogaster
Found throughout the central and southeastern United States, ranging from Texas and the Gulf Coast up through the Mississippi River Valley and into parts of the Midwest and eastern seaboard.
Look up Plain-bellied Watersnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia erythrogaster
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with stable populations across most of its natural range, though local populations face threats from wetland drainage and vehicular mortality.
Physical Description
Displays a dark brown to nearly black dorsal coloration, sometimes with faint reddish or dark crossbands depending on age, paired with a distinct yellowish to reddish underside. The scales are heavily keeled, giving a matte texture, and the head is moderately distinct from the neck with rounded snout characteristics.
Size & Dimensions
This specimen is estimated around 30 to 36 inches in length. Typical adults range from 30 to 48 inches, with maximum recorded lengths approaching 62 inches.
Habitat
Inhabits aquatic environments such as swamps, marshes, rivers, ponds, and slow-moving streams. They are frequently found near permanent bodies of water and readily venture onto adjacent land.
Diet & Feeding
Preys primarily on aquatic organisms including fish, frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders. They are active foragers both in water and along the banks, capturing prey with a direct strike and consuming it live.
Reproduction
Viviparous species, giving birth to live young. Mating typically occurs in spring, with litters ranging from 10 to over 30 young born in late summer or early autumn.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with other watersnake species in the genus Nerodia, as well as cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus). Distinguished from cottonmouths by its round pupils, lack of facial pits, narrower head profile, and different scale patterning.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, with stable populations across most of its natural range, though local populations face threats from wetland drainage and vehicular mortality.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in controlling amphibian and fish populations within wetland ecosystems, often mistakenly persecuted due to superficial resemblances to venomous species.
Notable Features
Known for adopting a defensive posture when cornered, flattening their bodies, striking repeatedly, and releasing a foul-smelling musk from cloacal glands.