Florida Banded Water Snake Belly

The florida water snake subspecies diet is composed mainly of cows although throughout the majority of its scope the subspecies have a tendency to eat fish.

Florida banded water snake belly. They have dark brown or black crossbands down the back that alternate with lighter tan or reddish crossbands. When threatened the florida water snake defends itself by biting and smearing its tormentor with a foul smelling musk. However for its length the body of this snake is still more slender than the body of a water moccasin and the tail is much longer and thinner. The belly is yellow with worm like black or red markings and a dark line runs diagonally through the eye.

Florida banded water snakes nerodia fasciata pictiventris is a member of the colubridae family. The skin is rough while the entire body is reddish. A dark stripe extends from the eye to the angle of the jaw. The banded water snake also called the southern water snake is a species of aquatic snake widely distributed in parts of the united states.

Banded water snakes diet. Its range extends northeast up the coastal plain to north carolina and west to southwestern alabama. Banded water snakes are heavy bodied snakes that can grow 2 4 feet in length. Head and neck size and shape.

Feeds on live or dead fishes frogs and aquatic invertebrates. In florida the banded water snake is found in the panhandle. They average in size between 24 to 42 inches long with the record being 62 5 inches long. Nerodia fasciata linnaeus 1766 the following will separate the two southern water snakes found in florida if you are unable to distinguish between them based on the characteristics in the key below you probably can do so using the geographic location alone.

The florida water snake bears live young. Florida snake identification key southern water snake. These snakes like other colubrid species are non poisonous and are harmless to humans. Active mainly at night but may be found during the day sunning on banks or on vegetation hanging over the water.

The pupil is round. These warm water snakes feed chiefly on amphibians and fish such as minnows along with pikes eels along with also the occasional crayfish. Florida banded water snakes are large and have stout bodies. The banded water snake can be found in nearly all freshwater habitats including ponds lakes streams rivers and marshes.

Over time they have adopted many scientific names such as natrix sipedon fasciata tropidonotous fasciatus and coluber fasciatus. The banded water snake also known as the nerodia fasciata fasciata is one of the types of snakes that you rarely see in the southern area of north america is mostly where these snakes are found. Belly is light with squarish spots. What do they look like identification.

Juveniles have very clear crossbands usually black on pale background.