Florida's seven wonderful water snakes

Florida is home, at least in small part, to seven species of water snakes of the genus Nerodia.

One species, the Mississippi green water snake barely enters the state on extreme western tip of the panhandle. The midland water snake, a subspecies of the northern water snake, is found from the central panhandle to the western tip. Two subspecies of plain-bellied water snakes (the yellow-bellied and the red-bellied) are also panhandle species.

One or another of the three subspecies of the salt marsh snakes may be found along almost all of Florida's extensive coastline, but are absent from St. Augustine northward on the Atlantic Coast. Two of the three subspecies of the southern water snake, the Florida and the southern, occur in suitable habitats throughout the state (save for the Florida Keys).

The southern subspecies is restricted in distribution primarily to the state's panhandle. Except for a small area in northeastern Florida you may happen across the Florida green water snake. But of them all, the seventh species, the brown water snake, Nerodia taxispilota, is the only one to occur throughout all of mainland Florida (the possible exception being a narrow strip along the state's extreme environmental nightmare, the southeastern coastline).

All too often, the brown water snake is mistaken for a cottonmouth ("water moccasin"). This is sad; other than each having a feisty disposition, the two are not even vaguely similar. Having a heavy body and a verified length in excess of five and a half feet, the brown is one of the larger water snakes. The three rows of dark brown markings are usually square in shape and unless the snake is unusually dark or the pattern is obscured by a patina of mud, the markings are evident throughout the snake's life.

The brown water snake utilizes a variety of habitats: canals, swamps, and rivers among them. The snake may often ascend several feet above the water surface to seek a basking spot in an overhanging tree.

Sadly, the pretty brown water snake, Nerodia taxispilota, is often mistaken for a cottonmouth. The Florida Green Water Snake, Nerodia floridana, is found over the entire Florida mainland.

Author, photographer, and columnist Richard Bartlett is one of the most prolific writers on herpetological subjects in the 20th century. With hundreds of books and articles to their credit, Richard and his wife Pat have spent over four decades documenting reptiles both in the field and in captivity. For a list of their current titles, please visit their page in our bookstore.