A heavy, banded non-venomous water snake of eastern North America, frequently misidentified as a cottonmouth and killed by mistake.
Description
A stout-bodied snake usually under 1.1 m, marked with broad dark crossbands at the front of the body that break into staggered dorsal and lateral blotches toward the tail. The ground colour ranges from brown to grey, and older adults often darken to nearly uniform charcoal.
Behavior
Northern water snakes are excellent swimmers, hunting fish and frogs in shallow water by ambush and active pursuit. They bask on overhanging branches and rocks. When alarmed they bite vigorously, releasing musk and a mild anticoagulant in the saliva, but they are not venomous.
Range
Distributed widely across the eastern half of North America from Quebec south to the Gulf coast and west to Colorado. Several subspecies, including the Lake Erie water snake, are restricted to particular drainages or islands.
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Northern Water Snake starts with N and ends with E. Browse other snakes along the same letter.
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