Southern water snake
The Banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata) is a mostly aquatic, nonvenomous, colubrid snake native to the United States. The appearance of these snakes leads them to be frequently mistaken for other snakes with which they share a habitat, including the venomous cottonmouth.
Di
DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Pi
PiscivoresA piscivore is a carnivorous animal that eats primarily fish. Piscivorous is equivalent to the Greek-derived word ichthyophagous. Fish were the die...
Se
SemiaquaticSemiaquatic animals are those that are primarily or partly terrestrial but that spend a large amount of time swimming or otherwise occupied in wate...
Pr
PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Na
NatatorialNatatorial animals are those adapted for swimming. Some fish use their pectoral fins as the primary means of locomotion, sometimes termed labriform...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous an...
No
Non-venomousSo
SolitaryNo
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
Hi
HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
B
starts withThe Banded water snake is typically gray, greenish-gray, or brown in color, with dark crossbanding. Many specimens are so dark in color that their patterning is barely discernible. They have flat heads and are fairly heavy-bodied. Banded water snakes may also be identified by a dark stripe which extends from the eye to the angle of the jaw. The females are generally longer and heavier than the males.
Banded water snakes occur in the Midwest and the Southeastern United States. They can be found from Indiana, south to Louisiana, and east to Florida. These snakes inhabit most freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, marshes, ponds, streams, and swamps.
Banded water snakes are solitary creatures. They are active both during the day and at night spending their time basking on logs and branches or hunting in shallow water for prey. These snakes hunt by smell and sight using their vomeronasal organ, also called Jacobson's organ. Banded water snakes are quick to flee from danger, but if cornered or captured, they usually will not hesitate to defend themselves and can inflict a painful bite. If irritated, they release a foul-smelling musk to deter predators. During cold winter months, Banded water snakes hibernate, usually under logs, rocks, or in burrows.
Banded water snakes are carnivores (piscivores) and prey mainly on fish, frogs, and small birds.
Banded water snakes breed in spring. Females usually produce from 9 to 50 live young after the gestation period that lasts about 79 days. The young measure 200-240 mm (about 8.0-9.5 in) in total length and are independent right after birth. They become reproductively mature at 2-3 years of age.
There are no major threats to Banded water snakes at present.
According to IUCN, the Banded water snake is locally common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Banded water snakes are important for the environment as they control the populations of their main prey, including fish, and other amphibians.
