Plain-bellied water snake

Description

Nerodia erythrogaster, commonly known as the plain-bellied water snake or plainbelly water snake, is a familiar species of mostly aquatic, nonvenomous, colubrid snake endemic to the United States. The plain-bellied water snake is a large, thick-bodied, solid-colored snake. Subspecies can be brown, gray, olive green, greenish-gray, and black in color. Some lighter colored snakes display dark dorsal blotches. This snake can be distinguished from other water snakes by its plain, unmarked underside varying in color from red to yellow. It gets its common name because it has no marking on its underside. Its scientific name erythrogaster comes from the Greek word “erythros” meaning red and “gaster” meaning belly. Adults vary in size from 24–40 inches (76–122 cm) in total length. Juvenile snakes have banding patterns similar to banded water snakes, but can be identified by their unmarked bellies. Plain-bellied water snakes are found in every southeastern state of the U.S., from Florida to southeastern Virginia on the east coast, to the borders of eastern North Carolina and western Tennessee, and as far west as Oklahoma and Texas. They are not found in the Appalachian Mountain Range, which excludes them from eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. The snakes are almost always found near a permanent water source. They are usually seen near rivers and floodplains, lakes and ponds and any natural wetlands in their geographic range. Plain-bellied water snakes are active in the warmest months of the year. During the hottest months of summer, they will be active both during the day and at night. In warmer months, they are typically found basking on logs or near bodies of water, swimming, or traveling over land. During hot, humid weather, they will travel long distances away from water. They tend to spend more time in terrestrial habitat than other water snake species. They hibernate during the coldest months of the winter. The species gets most of its food from the water. They feed primarily on fish, crayfish, salamanders, and frogs. Because of the amount of time they spend on land, the snake's diet includes a large quantity of amphibians. Like most other snakes, it will hunt for prey, but this species has been observed submerged in water sources waiting for prey to approach them. They apprehend and swallow prey alive without using constriction.