Barry Mansell photo.

Scientific name: Nerodia sipedon pleuralis

Description: Average adult size is 24-48 inches (60.9-121.9 cm), record is 59 inches (149.8 cm). Adults are light brownish with less than 30 darker brown crossbands near the neck, which break up into alternating blotches further down the body. These crossbands and blotches are separated by at least 2.5 dorsal scale rows of the lighter colored dorsal scales. There are dark squarish markings on the sides of the body between the dorsal blotches, which extend upwards from the belly. The belly is yellowish marked with two rows of half moons. The scales are keeled and there are 21-25 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round. Juvenile coloration is similar to that of adults.

Midland watersnake: Left to right: Top of the head (notice the large plate-like scales on the top of the head);
underside of the head (chin and throat).

Midland watersnake: Left to right: Side of the head; front (face view) of the head.

Range: In Florida, it is found in the panhandle. Outside of Florida, it is found in the southeastern US north and east to North Carolina and west to Louisiana, Oklahoma and Illinois.

Habitat: Uncommon in Florida, but is sometimes found in rivers flowing south into the panhandle and in steepheads.

Comments: . The midland watersnake is mainly active at night.

Its diet consists of small fishes, frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders.

It is live-bearing. Litters of 12-30 deposited from June-September have been reported.

Comparison with other species: The banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata) has dorsal crossbands that extend the length of its body, squarish markings on the belly, and a dark stripe from its eye to last supralabial scale. The brown watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota) has squarish dorsal blotches along its entire body.

Harmless watersnakes are frequently confused with the venomous cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus). However, cottonmouths can easily be distinguished from watersnakes. Cottonmouths have a vertical pupil, a facial pit between its eye and nostril. If the head is viewed from above, the eyes of cottonmouths cannot be seen while the eyes of watersnakes are visible; cottonmouths have elliptical pupils and watersnakes have round pupils; and cottonmouths have a facial pit between the nostril and the eye, which the watersnakes lack.

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