# Mississippi Green Watersnake (*Nerodia cyclopion*) The Mississippi Green Watersnake is a friendly snake that loves to swim! It has beautiful green and brown colors that help it blend in with the water plants. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Mississippi Green Watersnake](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Mississippi_Green_Water_Snake.jpg&width=800) Photo: John Sullivan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mississippi_Green_Water_Snake.jpg) ## Appearance The Mississippi Green Watersnake is a thick-bodied snake, typically olive-green to dark brown, often with faint or absent patterns. It has strongly keeled scales and round pupils, which visibly distinguish it from venomous lookalikes like the Cottonmouth. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Serpentes - **Family:** Colubridae - **Genus:** Nerodia ## Interesting facts - A single mother Mississippi Green Watersnake can give birth to over 60 live baby snakes! - Despite their name, they are excellent divers, hunting beneath the water's surface! - These snakes have rough, 'keeled' scales that help them grip slippery surfaces, even underwater! - When scared, this snake flattens its head to look big and scary, but it's an act! ## Special abilities - **Underwater Hunter:** Mississippi Green Watersnake can hunt fish and frogs underwater because its muscular body and breath-holding capability make it an expert swimmer. - **Live Birth:** Mississippi Green Watersnake has live birth, helping its young develop safely inside the mother before entering the watery world. - **Slippery Grip Scales:** Mississippi Green Watersnake has strongly keeled scales that provide excellent grip, helping them navigate dense wetland vegetation and slippery banks. - **Wetland Camouflage:** Mississippi Green Watersnake has an olive-green to dark brown color that helps them blend perfectly with murky water and aquatic plants. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 76-140 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-2 kg - **Lifespan:** 5-10 years - **Speed:** 5 km/h - **Swim Speed:** 10 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 10-60 - **Maximum Depth:** 10 m ## Diet & Feeding They love to munch on fish and frogs, catching them with quick underwater movements! - **Primary Foods:** Fish, Frogs, Tadpoles, Salamanders - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Mosquitofish (*Gambusia affinis*) — A primary food source in its habitat. - **Hunts:** [Southern Leopard Frog](https://www.snappit.app/explore/southern-leopard-frog) (*Lithobates sphenocephalus*) — Frequently preys on these frogs and their tadpoles. - **Eaten by:** [American Alligator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-alligator) (*Alligator mississippiensis*) — Young and adult snakes can be prey for alligators. - **Eaten by:** [Raccoon](https://www.snappit.app/explore/raccoon) (*Procyon lotor*) — Raccoons sometimes prey on watersnakes found near water. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Camouflaged](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/camouflaged): Camouflaged describes organisms that possess coloring or patterns that allow them to blend into their environment. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/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. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low If you see a snake, it's best to watch from a distance and not to touch it. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Mississippi Green Watersnake? Compare the full body pattern, build, head markings and tail. Color can shift with age and lighting. Rules of thumb about triangular heads or round pupils aren't a reliable way to tell whether a snake is venomous. Snake Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Mississippi Green Watersnake? 76-140 cm ### How much does Mississippi Green Watersnake weigh? 0.5-2 kg ### How long does Mississippi Green Watersnake live? 5-10 years ### How fast can Mississippi Green Watersnake move? 5 km/h ### What does Mississippi Green Watersnake eat? They love to munch on fish and frogs, catching them with quick underwater movements! ### How fast can Mississippi Green Watersnake swim? 10 km/h ### Where is Mississippi Green Watersnake usually found? Wetlands ## Where to spot - [Pomme de Terre Wildlife Management Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pomme-de-terre-wildlife-management-area) — Louisiana, US · Park ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Mississippi Green Watersnake Facts — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mississippi-green-watersnake)