Stats

Lifespan: 10-20 yrs
Size: Medium
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Cathemeral
Social: Solitary
Biome: Freshwater wetland
Range: North America
Movement: Slithering
Breeding: Live Birth
Defense: Camouflage
Status: Common

About

The plain-bellied watersnake is a heavy-bodied, non-venomous snake found in ponds, swamps, and slow streams across the central and southeastern United States, named for its unmarked yellow, orange, or reddish belly. Unlike many watersnakes, its back is plain olive, brown, or gray with no bold pattern, and when cornered it often flattens its body and strikes rather than fleeing into the water.

Life cycle

1.
hatchling
A miniature snake emerges from the egg or from its mother (live-bearers), already venomous or strong-coiled in some species.
2.
juvenile
A juvenile sheds its skin, grows quickly, and hunts smaller prey than the adults.
3.
adult
Fully grown at adult length and pattern.

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Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Nerodia
Species: Nerodia erythrogaster