Plain-bellied Watersnake

Nerodia erythrogaster

The Plain-bellied Watersnake is a friendly snake that loves to swim! It has a smooth, shiny body that can be brown or gray, and it often hides near water to catch its favorite food, which is fish.

Lebensraum: Wetlands

Aussehen

The Plain-bellied Watersnake is a medium to large snake with a striking solid, unmarked belly that can be yellow, orange, or reddish. Its back is typically a uniform brown, gray, or olive, often lacking distinct patterns in adults, which makes it visually different from many banded watersnake species.

ReichAnimaliaStammChordataKlasseSquamataOrdnungSerpentesFamilieColubridaeGattungNerodia

Plain-bellied Watersnake

Kategorie

Reptilien

Seltenheit

Common

Gefahr

1/5 · Sehr gering

Snaps

Mach den ersten Snap!

Interessante Fakten

Even though they have "watersnake" in their name, they can climb trees to bask too!

Their bellies can be bright red, orange, or yellow, making them look very fancy!

They give birth to live babies, not eggs, up to 30 at once!

Young Plain-bellied Watersnakes often have faint patterns that disappear as they grow.

Besondere Fähigkeiten

Plain-bellied Watersnake can hunt under the water because it can hold its breath, which helps them catch fish and frogs.

Plain-bellied Watersnake has a plain back coloration that helps them blend perfectly with murky water and riverbeds.

Plain-bellied Watersnake can release a strong-smelling musk when threatened, which helps them deter predators.

Maße und Details

Länge: 76-150 cm
Gewicht: 0.5-1.5 kg
Lebenserwartung: 10-15 Jahre
Top Speed: 5 km/h
Schwimmgeschwindigkeit: 4 km/h
Gelegegröße: 5-30
Maximale Tiefe: 5 m

Ernährung und Fütterung

They are expert hunters, mostly feasting on fish, frogs, and salamanders they catch in the water.

Hauptnahrung

Minnows
Sunfish
Bullfrogs
Salamanders
Crayfish

Nahrungssuche

Foraging

Ökologische Zusammenhänge

hunts

Bullfrog

Lithobates catesbeianus

Preys on frogs and their tadpoles.

hunts

Bluegill

Lepomis macrochirus

Eats various small fish species.

eaten by

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

A major predator in their wetland homes.

eaten by

Snapping Turtle

Chelydra serpentina

Large turtles can prey on watersnakes.

Merkmale

Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger leben den größten Teil ihres Lebens allein und interagieren mit Artgenossen nur zur Paarung oder zur Aufzucht der Jungen.

Fischfressend

Fischfressende Organismen sind Tiere, die sich hauptsächlich von Fisch ernähren.

Getarnt

Getarnt beschreibt Organismen, die über eine Färbung oder Musterung verfügen, durch die sie mit ihrer Umgebung verschmelzen.

Feuchtgebiet

Dieses Lebensraummerkmal kennzeichnet Arten, die in Feuchtgebieten vorkommen. Dies sind Landflächen, die dauerhaft oder saisonal mit Wasser gesättigt sind, darunter Marschland, Sümpfe und Moore.