Banded Watersnake

Nerodia fasciata

The Banded Watersnake is a friendly snake that loves to swim in water! It has beautiful stripes that help it blend in with its surroundings, making it a great swimmer and a fun creature to spot.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Banded Watersnake has a thick body with distinct dark crossbands (brown, reddish-brown, or black) on a lighter background (tan, gray, or yellow). Its bands are usually wider in the middle of its back. It also has a dark stripe running from its eye to the corner of its jaw.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassSquamataOrderSerpentesFamilyColubridaeGenusNerodia

Banded Watersnake

Interesting facts

Female watersnakes can have up to 50 live babies at once! Wow!

Many people mistake them for venomous cottonmouths, but they are harmless!

They're like submarine hunters, catching fish underwater!

When scared, they might release a smelly musk to warn you off.

Special abilities

Banded Watersnake can hunt for fish and frogs underwater because it is an excellent swimmer and can hold its breath for extended periods.

Banded Watersnake has patterned crossbands that help them blend into the muddy, reedy banks and mucky water of their habitat, hiding from predators and prey.

Banded Watersnake can give birth to live baby snakes, called neonates, which are ready to swim and hunt on their own right away.

Banded Watersnake can flatten its body and head when threatened, making itself look larger and more intimidating to scare away potential attackers.

Measurements & details

Length: 60-150 cm
Weight: 0.2-2 kg
Lifespan: 5-10 years
Top Speed: 3 km/h
Swim Speed: 5 km/h
Clutch Size: 10-50
Maximum Depth: 8 m

Diet & Feeding

These aquatic snakes are expert hunters, mainly eating fish, frogs, and salamanders from freshwater habitats.

Age differences: Young snakes eat smaller versions of adult prey, such as small fish and tadpoles.

Primary Foods

fish
frogs
salamanders
tadpoles
crayfish

Foraging Method

Pursuit

Ecological connections

hunts

Eastern Mosquitofish

Gambusia holbrooki

A common food source in southern waterways.

hunts

Southern Leopard Frog

Lithobates sphenocephalus

Often ambushed near the water's edge or caught swimming.

eaten by

American Alligator

Alligator mississippiensis

Large alligators are predators of juvenile and adult watersnakes.

eaten by

Raccoon

Procyon lotor

Predates on watersnakes encountered near water bodies.

Traits

Striped

Marked with parallel bands or lines of color.

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Camouflaged

Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment.

Piscivorous

Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.