Common Watersnake
Nerodia sipedon • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia sipedon
Found across Eastern and Central North America, from Southern Canada south to North Carolina and west to Colorado and the Mississippi River.
Look up Common Watersnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia sipedon
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN); widespread and adaptable to human-altered environments, though often killed by people who mistake them for cottonmouths.
Physical Description
Heavy-bodied snake with keeled scales. Coloration varies from brown to reddish-brown or grey with dark crossbands near the head that break into alternating blotches further down the body. This specimen shows a vibrant reddish-brown phase. Eyes have round pupils.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be an adult around 24 to 36 inches (60-90 cm). The species typically ranges from 22 to 42 inches, with a maximum record of about 55 inches.
Habitat
Highly aquatic; common near lakes, ponds, marshes, rivers, and canals. Often found basking on rocks, logs, or in vegetation overhanging water.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily piscivorous and carnivorous; feeds on fish, frogs, salamanders, and occasionally small mammals or birds. They use active foraging and swallow prey alive.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Mating occurs in spring, and females give birth to 15-30 young in late summer or early autumn.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN); widespread and adaptable to human-altered environments, though often killed by people who mistake them for cottonmouths.
Cultural Significance
Ecologically important as a mid-level predator that controls fish and amphibian populations. Often unfairly persecuted due to its resemblance to the Cottonmouth.
Notable Features
Features heavily keeled scales and a specialized saliva containing mild anticoagulants to help process slippery fish prey.