Diamondback Water Snake
Nerodia rhombifer • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia rhombifer
Central United States and Mexico, specifically from Indiana and Illinois south to the Gulf of Mexico, and west through Texas and Oklahoma into Northern Mexico.
Look up Diamondback Water Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia rhombifer
Conservation
IUCN Status: Least Concern. Populations are stable, though they face threats from habitat destruction and being mistreated due to confusion with cottonmouths.
Physical Description
Robust body with keeled scales. Coloration is olive, brown, or yellowish with a distinctive dark chain-like pattern of linked diamonds along the back. The head is noticeably wider than the neck, and the eyes have round pupils. The belly is usually yellow or cream with dark crescent-shaped spots.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen appears to be an adult of average size. Adult range is typically 30-48 inches (76-122 cm), though record lengths can exceed 60 inches (150 cm).
Habitat
Semi-aquatic. Found in slow-moving bodies of water such as rivers, oxbow lakes, marshes, swamps, and ponds. They prefer environments with overhanging vegetation and logs for basking.
Diet & Feeding
Specialize in fish and amphibians. They are active foragers that hunt along the water's edge or underwater, often using their sharp teeth to grip slippery prey before swallowing it alive.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Breeding occurs in spring, with litters ranging from 13 to 62 neonates born in late summer or early autumn.
Conservation Status
IUCN Status: Least Concern. Populations are stable, though they face threats from habitat destruction and being mistreated due to confusion with cottonmouths.
Cultural Significance
Often unfairly persecuted due to their resemblance to other snakes. They play a crucial ecological role in controlling fish and amphibian populations in wetlands.
Notable Features
Features a unique 'diamond' or chain-link pattern. In the provided image, the specimen is displaying an open mouth, a common intimidation tactic of the genus Nerodia.