Plain-Bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster) lives in freshwater habitats across North America. It feeds on fish and frogs. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Plain-Bellied Watersnake
- Plain-bellied water snakes can wander up to 108 feet (33 m) from a pond in a single day, yet they never stray farther than about 318 feet (97 m) from fresh water. This tight tether to water forces them onto roads as they cross between wetlands, where roadkill can claim as many as sixty percent of individuals.
- These snakes travel farther from water than other water snakes, averaging 95.9 m away and sometimes several hundred meters, using upland corridors that intersect farms and suburbs. Their reliance on these land bridges links them to human-altered landscapes, where road crossings and habitat loss have driven declines, especially in the northern subspecies.
- In the hottest months, they are active day and night, swimming, basking, and even trekking 30 m across dry land to find new prey. This flexibility lets them exploit both aquatic and terrestrial food webs, eating fish, crayfish, tadpoles, and a large share of frogs, so they help balance amphibian populations while also linking water and land ecosystems.
- Females give birth to an average of 17.8 young, but litters can swell to 55 hatchlings, as recorded in North Carolina.
- Adult plain-bellied water snakes weigh on average 286 g for males and 516 g for females, with females growing larger, up to 163.6 cm total length, the longest recorded.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorth America
HabitatFreshwater habitats
DietFish and frogs
About the Plain-Bellied Watersnake
In the sun-dappled shallows of its native wetlands, the Plain-Bellied Watersnake glides effortlessly, its sleek, serpentine form undulating through the water with a mesmerizing rhythm. As it navigates the aquatic world, its unpatterned, reddish-brown scales glisten like polished gemstones, blending seamlessly into the murky surroundings, allowing it to stalk its unsuspecting prey with stealthy precision. With each sinuous movement, the watersnake embodies the very essence of its domain, a masterful adaptation of form and function that has enabled it to thrive in this delicate, watery realm.
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