The diamondback water snake is often mistaken for the cottonmouth or rattlesnakes and is killed out of fear. Their head is dark olive on the top with most of the supralabial scales being yellow with black outlines. The bellies of diamondback water snakes are yellow with dark spots. order of all reptiles. STATUS: Fairly common to common in western portions of Coastal Plain, extending eastward along Tennessee and Tallapoosa drainages to Macon County. However, they would usually select basking perches like branches of trees or shrubs where they would usually mate, hanging over the water surface. The bellies of diamondback water snakes are yellow with dark spots. As predators, watersnakes control populations of the animals they consume. They mate in the spring and have live young from early August to late October. However, with proper handling, they will become quite docile. They are frequently seen to be basking upon branches of trees, tree roots, shrubs, and along the waterway banks. As they grow older, they continue to grow darker and darker. This is also a defense mechanism. More, Culebra-de agua vientre claro in Spanish - españolplain-bellied water snake in English - EnglishPlainbelly Water Snake in English - EnglishRotbauch-Wassernatter, Rotbauchige Schwimmnatter in German - Deutsch, © 2010 Thewebsiteofeverything.comPictures and facts of thePlainbelly Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster), Picture of Nerodia erythrogaster has been licensed under a Creative Commons. A cause for the outbreak might have been an abnormally wet and cold El Niño weather system. water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus), and are killed needlessly. Normally, there are 3 postocular scales. The diamondback water snakes do not possess any parental instincts. yellow, orange-red, or red. The subspecies found in Iowa is the northern diamondback water snake, Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer. on New Mexico's endangered and threatened list. It may also defecate when handled, which has a particularly offensive smell, probably due to the diet of mostly fish. The breeding season of the diamondback watersnake is during the springtime, while they give birth during the late summer months, or early fall. Due to how common the species is, the diamondback water snake is frequently found in captivity, though there is little market value for it in the pet trade. We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. This watersnake often basks on branches or logs during spring, early summer, and autumn. Call 1-800-392-1111 to report poaching and arson, Colubridae (nonvenomous snakes) in the order Squamata (lizards and snakes). Their defenseless newborns are gobbled by animals ranging from large frogs and fish to other snakes and birds and mammals. In 1996 a contract was awarded to a wildlife control company to cull the snake population. Some of their common predators include snapping turtles, opossums, raccoons, foxes, and other species of snakes. crayfish snake will be much closer to a wet environment, feeding on After emerging out from winter’s hibernation, the act of copulation usually takes place right away. Diamond-backed Watersnakes Nerodia rhombifer are medium to large (~110cm, record 175.3 cm) natricine snakes with heavily keeled scales often found in and around water. LIFE HISTORY AND ECOLOGY: Diamondback water snakes breed in the spring and the females give birth to 14-62 live young from August to October. It only typically resorts to biting if physically harassed or handled. There are over 6,000 The females can move considerably faster than the males. This species, though it fights fiercely to defend itself, is harmless. Many snake species are burdened with unfair, undying myths that paint them to be much more dangerous and harmful than they are. It belongs to the genus ‘Nerodis’, all of which are native to the continent of North America. Harmless Watersnake or Venomous Water Moccasin? Along with being a habitat generalist, Nerodia rhombifer is also a food generalist, eating fish, frogs, toads, crayfish and an occasional young turtle. In typical counter-colored fashion, the underside is generally a yellow or lighter brown color, often with black blotching. Neonates are around 8–10 in (20–25 cm) in length. But snakes are preyed upon themselves. This particular variety seems to be their favorite over all others in their fish-diet list. We facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources. Young turtles too are occasionally consumed. The Eastern Diamondback is a salt water swimmer and can bite underwater. HABITAT: Diamondback water snakes, as their name suggests, inhabit aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, marshes, swamps, streams, canals, ditches, and creeks. In the western parts of the US, where the large bullfrogs have become an invasive species, and are waging war against native frog breeds, the diamondback water snakes are playing their role by reducing the number of bullfrogs in those areas. Like other Nerodia species, the diamondback water snake is ovoviviparous. The When these serpents are cornered, they would often hiss like venomous snakes. They mostly prefer hunting in the waters if they are hunting at night. Similar Species: Northern Water Snakes and young Copperbelly Water Snakes have dark bands across the neck. Heavily aquatic compared to other watersnakes, they are commonly encountered fish and amphibian eating snakes across much of Central North America south through Guatemala and Belize. When foraging for food the diamondback water snake will hang on branches suspended over the water, dipping its head under the surface of the water, until it encounters a fish or other prey. More, The Plainbelly Water Snake is from the order Squamata. The newborn juvenile snakes are around 8–10 in (20–25 cm) in length. It is frequently found basking on branches over water, and when approached, it will quickly drop into the water and swim away. [3], Adult males have multiple papillae (tubercles) on the under surface of the chin, which are not found on any other species of snake in the United States. Diamondback water snakes often are confused with the venomous, but more docile, cottonmouth, a.k.a. A diamondback water snake, Nerodia rhombifer, from Louisa County, Iowa. The dark blotches are connected on the sides by alternating dark bars thus forming the diamond-shaped patterns for which the snakes are named. The advantage of such an adaptation is that, in case its prey escapes, the snake can easily follow the trail of blood that the injured animal has left behind and get it back. FEEDING HABITS: Diamondback water snakes are diurnal hunters, feeding primarily during daylight hours. Each of these blotches is further connected by thin black lines to two other series of vertical black bars found on both its sides. belly. The attacker is also frequently covered with musky feces released by the agitated snake. Their scales are keeled, which means that they are rough. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri, Second Edition, Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants. When threatened or handled, these snakes would often excrete a foul smelling, pungent musk. An orange coloration is also often seen on their bellies. Video of a northern diamond-backed watersnake in the wild. DESCRIPTION: Diamondback water snakes (Nerodia rhombifer) are relatively large, thick bodied snakes. Education corrects our prejudice. They are not the type of snake that would actively seek confrontation with humans or other animals. Newly born diamondback water snakes look like light colored versions of the adults and may have an orange wash on the belly. This snake has been introduced to Lafayette Reservoir in Contra Costa County, California. As with other watersnake species, the scales along the back have keels, causing the snake to feel rough. In Alabama they are most often found in the Tombigbee and Black Warrior river watersheds in the western half of the state. The belly of the snake is yellowish or cream colored. Similar species: This and other watersnakes are often confused with the venomous western cottonmouth and needlessly killed. The diamondback water snake is predominantly brown, dark brown, or dark olive green in color, with a black net-like pattern along the back, with each spot being vaguely diamond-shaped. They are also found in northern Mexican states of Nuevo León, Veracruz, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas. Depending on geographic location the belly can be either Adult body lengths usually range from 3 to 5 feet. The dorsal scales are arranged in 25 or 27 rows at midbody. rhombifer); Diamond-Backed Water Snake. The snakes are expert at catching catfish. It was first observed in the late 1980s and had reached high densities in the early 1990s, causing fisherman and other visitors to complain as they believed that the snakes were eating the reservoir's fish, frogs and, turtles—mostly stocked fish, American bullfrogs, and red-eared sliders—all non-native species too. All rights reserved. The NatureServe conservation status has categorized them under the ‘G5’ or ‘Secure’ species list. N. r. blanchardi (Clay, 1938) (Please note, the Northern Water Snake is NOT the same as a Water Moccasin.) However, the record length was found in the southern states reaching the length of 8.2 feet. N. r. werleri (Conant, 1953). More. The Plainbelly Water Snake is classified as Least Concern. The precise cause of the die-off is unknown, but a respiratory tract fungus was found in dissected snakes. As with other watersnake species, the scales along the back have keels, causing the snake to feel rough. Absent from the Ozarks; common in the southeastern corner, north along the Mississippi River floodplain, and in northern and western Missouri. This snake has a reticulated dorsal pattern. The diamondbacks are generally found in shallow water, near slow-moving water bodies, rivers, swamps, estuaries, ditches and even in water tanks. DISTRIBUTION: Populations of diamondback water snakes are concentrated primarily in and around the Mississippi River drainage, but their range extends north to southern Illinois and Indiana, west to Texas, Mexico, and Oklahoma, and eastward into Alabama. They can travel up to a mile or even more to reach their hibernacula. Their scales are keeled, which means that they are rough. The diamondbacks are ovoviviparous, a characteristic common to the North American ‘Nerodia’ species. Cottonmouths (Agkistrodon piscivorus).Sadly, harmless snakes are often killed out of fear for the safety of family and pets. The belly is light yellow and marked with black or dark brown spots. Since our wildlife habitat is located along the Tchefuncte River, we often see many water snakes, but the largest and most interesting one that lives around the river is the Diamondback Water Snake. Size (Length): Usually, these snakes grow up to 4.9 feet. Nerodia rhombifer, commonly known as the diamondback water snake, is a species of nonvenomous natricine colubrid endemic to the central United States and northern Mexico. Adults breed in the spring, and gravid females give birth in the late summer or early fall. The lower part (belly) is either olive, yellow, or yellowish brown that has dark crescents along the ventral scale margins.