Water Snakes

Water Snakes
(of the genus Nerodia)

Photos of water snakes, Nerodia, which I have taken in Florida and in Georgia.
All photos taken by me.
All animals alive, free and unrestrained.
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This page last updated: 7 Oct 2007
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All the snakes on this page are of the genus Nerodia.
None of these snakes are venomous.
Facts about snakes are taken from A Field Guide to Snakes of Florida by Alan Tennant.
In Florida and south Georgia there are four species of fresh-water Nerodia:

Nerodia fasciata        Southern Water Snake (aka Southern Banded Water Snake)

Nerodia floridana       Florida Green Water Snake

Nerodia taxispilota       Brown Water Snake

Nerodia erythrogaster    Plainbelly Water Snake

And there is one species of salt-water Nerodia:

Nerodia clarkii    Salt Marsh Snake

Close-up shots of the heads of the four species of fresh water Water Snakes which are found in Florida and south Georgia:

12 March 2002, Everglades, South Florida Southern Water Snake
Nerodia fasciata
This species is variable in color and pattern. It is common and is day-active, so it is frequently seen.
The species is divided into two subspecies found in Florida and Georgia. Nerodia fasciata fasciata the Banded Water Snake, found in north Florida and Nerodia fasciata pictiventris the Florida Banded Water Snake (aka Florida Water Snake) found on the Florida peninsula. The two subspecies do not differ much in appearance.
In Louisiana, Arkansas, and east Texas there is another subspecies Nerodia fasciata confluens, the Broad-banded Water Snake.

17 April 2001, Shark Valley, South Florida Brown Water Snake
Nerodia taxispilota
This is also common and day-active. It does not vary much in appearance -- the snake is brown with three rows of darker brown blotches running the length of its body -- one row on top, and one on each side. It is often found in branches overhanging bodies of water.

24 June 2002, Everglades along US41, South Florida Florida Green Water Snake
Nerodia floridana
The Florida Green Water Snake is the most nocturnal of the water snakes. The Florida Green Water Snake is found in almost all of Florida and just barely into south Georgia. In the extreme west Florida panhandle it is replaced by the Mississippi Green Water Snake, Nerodia cyclopian, which, although nearly identical in appearance, is considered to be a separate species.

24 March 2007, Valdosta Georgia, along Withlacoochee River Plainbelly Water Snake
Nerodia erythrogaster
Found in Florida panhandle, south Georgia, and north along the Atlantic coast as far as Virginia. Subspecies are the Redbelly Water Snake, the Yellowbelly Water Snake, the Copperbelly Water Snake.

I only have one photo of a Salt Marsh Snake. This species varies considerably in appearance -- some are all orange, some are all black.
The Salt Marsh Snake is the only salt-water Nerodia in Florida. There are three subspecies, clarkii, taeniata, and compressicauda. Based on the location, this would be a compressicauda.
This subspecies is called a Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake or Mangrove Water Snake.
Salt Marsh Snake Nerodia clarkii 26 March 2002 -- 1:48pm -- Black Point Park on the Atlantic Ocean

Florida Green Water Snake (Juvenile) Nerodia floridana Click for double-sized version (142k)

Juvenile water snakes have patterns, which make the species easy to distinguish. The pattern fades as the snake matures.
Typical adult size is 30 to 55 inches. There are no subspecies of this species. The Florida Green Water Snake is nearly identical to the Mississippi Green Water Snake.
Photo taken 14 June 2001 at 8:30pm Loop Road in Big Cypress Swamp

Southern Banded Water Snake Nerodia fasciata fasciata

This is the subspecies found in north Florida and in Georgia. Color can vary considerably.
Photo taken on a quiet road in SE Georgia on 21 Aug 2007 at 9:51pm.

The eyes of Florida Banded Water Snakes have two distinct colors. The eyes of Florida Green Water Snakes and Brown Water Snakes do not have a light outer ring; they usually appear as all-dark.
Photo taken 29 November 2000 on Loop Road in Big Cypress Swamp in the evening.
Florida Banded Water Snake Nerodia fasciata pictiventris

Brown Water Snake Nerodia taxispilota 17 April 2001
Shark Valley (section of Everglades National Park) This Brown Water Snake is in the rocks supporting the little bridge on the footpath near the observation tower at Shark Valley. I saw six of them in these rocks on this day.

Florida Banded Water Snake Nerodia fasciata pictiventris 3 May 2001 at 11:33am. Just outside Everglades National Park along US41. 135mm lens on helicoid, flash.
Click for huge version (129k) Juvenile Snake. Note the pattern, the two-tone eyes, and the flat head.

The Florida Banded Water Snake and the Mangrove Water Snake have heads which are (relatively) flat on top. That is, if an ant walked from the top, back of the head to the nose, it would walk in a nearly straight line. The Florida Green Water Snake and the Brown Water Snake have a noticeable bend in the head. The ant would walk forward to the eyes and then turn downward toward the nose. Top image is Florida Banded. Bottom image is Florida Green.

More Pages of Water Snake photos:
    Banded Water Snakes
    Brown Water Snakes
    Florida Green Water Snakes
    Plainbelly Water Snakes

Main Snake Page

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Red Yellow Black Banded Snakes
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This is a link to flickr, a website owned by Yahoo which allows everyone to post photos. I'm inviting everyone who has photos of snakes taken in the wild in the eastern USA to post them to a group on flickr. Check our collection of snake photos.

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This covers snake species found in eastern USA and Canada. From Texas to east coast. To identify snakes, buy the book
Snakes of North America
Eastern and Central Regions
by Alan Tennant and Dick Bartlett.
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