This species gets its common name because it has no patterning on its underside. The Northern Water Snake can be found in a variety of colors, but the majority will have bands of brown, black and dark green, although they can also have a sandy or reddish color on the body.
The Northern Water Snake is a stout-bodied snake with highly variable coloration. Northern water snakes are found in southern Ontario and the northeastern United States from Nebraska and Kansas in the west to the Atlantic coast and as far south as North Carolina and southern Missouri. In Minnesota, it is most often found in vegetation along or swimming in water near the St. Croix, Mississippi, and Minnesota rivers. Identification. Northern water snakes can vary in their coloration, some more red than brown, some very dark, some very dull, but the pattern is the same. The northern water snake feeds heavily on fish and amphibians, swallowing its prey alive.These snakes have been known to eat a number of fish species, such as brook trout, sunfish, smallmouth bass, minnows, bullhead catfish, and hogsuckers.They have also been recorded eating northern cricket frogs, toads, southern leopard frogs, bullfrog tadpoles, and spring peepers. The only real way to tell them apart is by paying attention to their behavior. It is a moderately large snake that can reach lengths of 1 to 1.4 metres (3 to 4.5 feet). A banded water snake does not open its mouth wide in an attempt to attack when feeling danger is near. Older snakes are darker, often without a clear pattern. They are primarily distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Usually there are dark cross bands on the neck just behind the head. General description: This 2- to 3-foot-long snake comes in many color variations.
native; Habitat. For the most part they are solitary animals, especially in the warmer months. They have a highly variable color and pattern and may be tan, gray, reddish or brownish-black. The body is coloured tan to gray and marked by large dark brown blotches.
22-42 inches total length; Found in streams, rivers, swamps, lakes and marshes; Active during day when cool, at night when hot; Feed on fish, frogs, and toads : Interesting fact: Water snakes will behave in a way that appears aggressive and will bite when they feel threatened, so they are often mistaken for copperheads or cottonmouths. The northern water snake (N. sipedon), the most common species, inhabits the eastern half of the United States, southern Ontario, and southern Quebec. They can be found in groups at basking sites coiled together. The Northern Water Snake is a North American snake that has a large body. The northern watersnake is a gray to reddish-brown snake with numerous dark brown, reddish-brown, or blackish crossbands along the front third of the body. It is a venomous species belonging to the Colubridae family with 4 recognized subspecies. Some references make much of the fact that a copperhead’s head is arrow-shaped or more broad than the non-venomous water snakes. The northern water snake grows to be two to four feet long.
The Northern Water Snake is mainly active during the day, although it sometimes will hunt for food at night. Water snakes are characterized by stout bodies with strongly keeled scales and triangular heads. When threatened or startled it drops into the water and swims away from the threat. The Plain-bellied water snake is a nonvenomous snake native to the United States. More Interesting Facts: The banded water snake is often mistaken as the cottonmouth snake or a moccasin which is venomous but appears very similar to the banded water snake.