Red-bellied Watersnake
Nerodia erythrogaster • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Nerodia, Species: Nerodia erythrogaster
Found throughout the southeastern and central United States, stretching from Texas and the Gulf Coast up through the Mississippi River Valley into parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes region.
Look up Red-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, as it has a wide distribution, stable populations, and considerable adaptability to altered wetland habitats.
Physical Description
Robust body with heavily keeled dorsal scales, giving a very textured appearance. The back and sides are uniformly brownish or dark olive, transitioning to a bright reddish-orange belly (visible slightly along the lower flanks). The head is distinct from the neck, and the labial scales show notable dark vertical bars.
Size & Dimensions
Estimated length of this specimen is around 30 to 36 inches. Adults typically range from 30 to 48 inches (76 to 122 cm), with maximum recorded lengths exceeding 55 inches.
Habitat
Primarily aquatic, found in and around slow-moving freshwater habitats such as swamps, marshes, ponds, lakes, sloughs, and drainage ditches. Often basks on branches, logs, or banks hanging over water.
Diet & Feeding
Diet consists primarily of fish, amphibians, and occasionally crayfish. Active forager in aquatic environments, capturing slippery prey with quick strikes.
Reproduction
Viviparous (live-bearing), typically giving birth to a litter of 10 to 30 or more young in late summer. Mating generally occurs in spring.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it has a wide distribution, stable populations, and considerable adaptability to altered wetland habitats.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role in aquatic food webs by regulating fish and amphibian populations. Often misunderstood and mistakenly killed out of fear of being confused with other species.
Notable Features
Known for displaying a bold reddish or yellowish-orange venter when flipped or cornered, and may flatten its body, strike repeatedly, and release a foul-smelling musk from cloacal glands.
Notes
By house