Nerodia is a genus of nonvenomous colubridsnakes commonly referred to as water snakes due to their aquatic behavior. The genus includes nine species, all native to North America.
Nerodiaspecies vary greatly, but all are relatively heavy-bodied snakes, sometimes growing to 1.2 m (4 feet) or longer in total length. They have flattened heads, with small eyes that have round pupils, and keeled dorsal scales. Species like N. fasciata display distinct banding, whereas other species, like N. erythrogaster, have blotching, and those like N. rhombifer have diamond-shaped patterning. Most species are brown or olive green, or some combination thereof with markings being brown, or black. Yellow or cream-colored accenting is common.
Behavior
Water snakes, as their name implies, are largely aquatic. They spend the vast majority of their time in or very near permanent sources of water. Often, they can be found basking on tree branches that overhang slow-moving streams or ponds.
Diet
Their primary diet is fish and amphibians, and they are quite adept at catching both in their aquatic environment. They will also consume small reptiles and rodents that live near water.
Defense
While their initial instinct is to flee when disturbed, water snakes readily defend themselves if they are unable to escape. They do not often hesitate to strike or bite if handled, and often expel a foul-smelling musk from their cloacae.
Nerodia species are viviparous, breeding in the spring and giving birth in the late summer or early fall. They are capable of having 90 or more young, but broods generally are much smaller. Neonates are around 20–26 centimetres (8–10 in) in length.
Species and subspecies
These species and subspecies are recognized as valid:[1]
Nerodia species are widely spread throughout the southern and eastern half of the United States, north into Canada and south into Mexico, as well as to the island of Cuba. Many ranges overlap, and intergrading of subspecies is not unknown, but is rare. Two species of Nerodia are invasive in the southwest US.[2]
N. rhombifer - Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama, as well as south into Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz)
N. taxispilota - Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia
In captivity
Due to how widespread and extremely common they are in the wild, water snakes are often found in the exotic pet trade, throughout the United States, though they are rarely captive bred. Their relative physical plainness, compared to other available pet snake species, and their propensity to bite make them less than attractive pets to most people. They are easy to care for, though, and do quite well in captivity.
Conservation concerns
Some species, such as N. harteri and N. paucimaculata are only found in very isolated localities and are protected by state laws, but the majority of Nerodia species hold no specific conservation status. Due to their habitat choice, defensive disposition, and vague similarity to the venomous cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus), they are frequently mistaken for them. This results in many more water snakes being killed every year than cottonmouths. Often, water snakes found in areas where the cottonmouth does not range are still killed by humans out of ignorance and fear.
References
^ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
Northern Water Snake Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide
Diamondback Watersnake - Nerodia rhombifer Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide
Further reading
Baird, S.F., and C.F. Girard. 1853. Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.—Serpents. Smithsonian Institution. Washington, District of Columbia. xvi + 172 pp. (Genus Nerodia, p. 38.)
Clay, W.M. 1938. A Synopsis of the North American Water Snakes of the Genus Natrix. Copeia 1938 (4): 173-182.
Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. xviii + 429 pp. ISBN0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Genus Natrix, p. 139.)
Schmidt, K.P., and D.D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. G.P. Putnam's Sons. New York. xiii + 365 pp. (Genus Natrix, pp. 205–206.)
Wright, A.H., and A.A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock. Ithaca and London. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes) (Genus Natrix, p. 467.)
Water Snakes - diet, life-cycle, habitats and sub-species
Genus Nerodia at The Reptile Database
March 05, 2023
nerodia, this, article, includes, list, general, references, lacks, sufficient, corresponding, inline, citations, please, help, improve, this, article, introducing, more, precise, citations, april, 2014, learn, when, remove, this, template, message, genus, non. This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations April 2014 Learn how and when to remove this template message Nerodia is a genus of nonvenomous colubrid snakes commonly referred to as water snakes due to their aquatic behavior The genus includes nine species all native to North America NerodiaNerodia rhombifer diamondback water snakeScientific classificationKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass ReptiliaOrder SquamataSuborder SerpentesFamily ColubridaeSubfamily NatricinaeGenus NerodiaBaird amp Girard 1853 Contents 1 Description 2 Behavior 3 Diet 4 Defense 5 Reproduction 6 Species and subspecies 7 Distribution 8 In captivity 9 Conservation concerns 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External linksDescription EditNerodia species vary greatly but all are relatively heavy bodied snakes sometimes growing to 1 2 m 4 feet or longer in total length They have flattened heads with small eyes that have round pupils and keeled dorsal scales Species like N fasciata display distinct banding whereas other species like N erythrogaster have blotching and those like N rhombifer have diamond shaped patterning Most species are brown or olive green or some combination thereof with markings being brown or black Yellow or cream colored accenting is common Behavior EditWater snakes as their name implies are largely aquatic They spend the vast majority of their time in or very near permanent sources of water Often they can be found basking on tree branches that overhang slow moving streams or ponds Diet EditTheir primary diet is fish and amphibians and they are quite adept at catching both in their aquatic environment They will also consume small reptiles and rodents that live near water Defense EditWhile their initial instinct is to flee when disturbed water snakes readily defend themselves if they are unable to escape They do not often hesitate to strike or bite if handled and often expel a foul smelling musk from their cloacae Reproduction Edit Nerodia rhombifer diamondback water snake giving birth Nerodia species are viviparous breeding in the spring and giving birth in the late summer or early fall They are capable of having 90 or more young but broods generally are much smaller Neonates are around 20 26 centimetres 8 10 in in length Species and subspecies EditThese species and subspecies are recognized as valid 1 Nerodia clarkii Baird amp Girard 1853 salt marsh snake N c clarkii Baird amp Girard 1853 N c compressicauda Kennicott 1860 N c taeniata Cope 1859 Nerodia cyclopion A M C Dumeril Bibron amp A H A Dumeril 1854 green water snake Nerodia erythrogaster Forster 1771 plainbelly water snake N e alta Conant 1963 N e bogerti Conant 1953 N e erythrogaster Forster 1771 N e flavigaster Conant 1949 N e neglecta Conant 1949 copperbelly water snake or copperbelly N e transversa Hallowell 1852 blotched water snake N e transversaNerodia fasciata Linnaeus 1766 banded water snake N f confluens Blanchard 1923 N f fasciata Linnaeus 1766 N f pictiventris Cope 1895 Nerodia floridana Goff 1936 Florida green watersnake Nerodia harteri Trapido 1941 Brazos water snake Nerodia paucimaculata Tinkle amp Conant 1961 Concho water snake Nerodia rhombifer Hallowell 1852 diamondback water snake N r blanchardi Clay 1938 N r rhombifer Hallowell 1852 N r werleri Conant 1953 Nerodia sipedon Linnaeus 1758 common water snake N s insularum Conant amp Clay 1937 N s pleuralis Cope 1892 N s sipedon Linnaeus 1758 N s williamengelsi Conant amp Lazell 1973 Nerodia taxispilota Holbrook 1842 brown water snakeDistribution EditNerodia species are widely spread throughout the southern and eastern half of the United States north into Canada and south into Mexico as well as to the island of Cuba Many ranges overlap and intergrading of subspecies is not unknown but is rare Two species of Nerodia are invasive in the southwest US 2 N clarkii around the Gulf of Mexico Florida Louisiana Mississippi Texas and Cuba N cyclopion Texas Louisiana Arkansas Missouri Illinois Mississippi Alabama Georgia Florida South Carolina Tennessee and Kentucky N erythrogaster Texas Oklahoma Kansas Louisiana Arkansas Missouri Mississippi Alabama Georgia Florida South Carolina North Carolina Illinois Indiana Ohio Michigan Iowa Delaware and into Mexico Durango Zacatecas Coahuila and Nuevo Leon N fasciata Texas Louisiana Oklahoma Arkansas Mississippi Alabama Florida Georgia South Carolina North Carolina Missouri and Illinois N harteri west central Texas N paucimaculata Central Texas N rhombifer Texas Oklahoma Kansas Louisiana Arkansas Missouri Illinois Indiana Tennessee Mississippi and Alabama as well as south into Mexico Coahuila Nuevo Leon Tamaulipas and Veracruz N sipedon Colorado Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma Iowa Missouri Arkansas Minnesota Wisconsin Illinois Tennessee Louisiana Mississippi Alabama Georgia Florida South Carolina North Carolina Kentucky West Virginia Virginia Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania New York Vermont New Hampshire Maine Massachusetts Rhode Island Connecticut New Jersey Delaware Maryland Michigan and north into Canada N taxispilota Florida Alabama Georgia South Carolina North Carolina and VirginiaIn captivity EditDue to how widespread and extremely common they are in the wild water snakes are often found in the exotic pet trade throughout the United States though they are rarely captive bred Their relative physical plainness compared to other available pet snake species and their propensity to bite make them less than attractive pets to most people They are easy to care for though and do quite well in captivity Conservation concerns EditSome species such as N harteri and N paucimaculata are only found in very isolated localities and are protected by state laws but the majority of Nerodia species hold no specific conservation status Due to their habitat choice defensive disposition and vague similarity to the venomous cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus they are frequently mistaken for them This results in many more water snakes being killed every year than cottonmouths Often water snakes found in areas where the cottonmouth does not range are still killed by humans out of ignorance and fear References Edit ITIS Integrated Taxonomic Information System www itis gov California Nerodia Watch iNaturalist Nerodia Integrated Taxonomic Information System Retrieved 12 May 2006 Northern Water Snake Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide Diamondback Watersnake Nerodia rhombifer Species account from the Iowa Reptile and Amphibian Field GuideFurther reading EditBaird S F and C F Girard 1853 Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution Part I Serpents Smithsonian Institution Washington District of Columbia xvi 172 pp Genus Nerodia p 38 Clay W M 1938 A Synopsis of the North American Water Snakes of the Genus Natrix Copeia 1938 4 173 182 Conant R 1975 A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America Second Edition Houghton Mifflin Boston xviii 429 pp ISBN 0 395 19977 8 paperback Genus Natrix p 139 Schmidt K P and D D Davis 1941 Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada G P Putnam s Sons New York xiii 365 pp Genus Natrix pp 205 206 Wright A H and A A Wright 1957 Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada Comstock Ithaca and London 1 105 pp in 2 volumes Genus Natrix p 467 External links Edit Wikispecies has information related to Nerodia Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nerodia Animal Diversity Web Nerodia sipedon Water Snakes diet life cycle habitats and sub species Genus Nerodia at The Reptile Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nerodia amp oldid 1092676769, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
