Richard Bartlett photo.

Scientific name: Nerodia cyclopion

Description: Adults average from 30-45 inches (76-114 cm), record 50 inches (127 cm). Adults are thick bodied and may be greenish or brownish, with no real distinctive markings other than dark speckling. The belly is patterned with light half moons on a darker background. The head is large, with a scale between the eye and the scales on the upper lip. The scales are keeled and there are 27-29 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round. Juveniles are distinctly speckled and crossbanded.

Green watersnake: Left to right: Top view of head; underside of head (chin and throat).

Green watersnake: Left to right: Side view of head (notice the scale between the eye and scales on the upper lip); front (face) view of head.

Range: In Florida, it is found only in the western Florida panhandle. Outside of Florida, it occurs along the gulf coast from western Florida to Texas and up the Mississippi river valley to extreme southern Illinois.

Habitat: Commonly found in calm waters of cypress swamps, but also found in sloughs and inundated woodlands.

Comments: , though they will bite to defend themselves. The green watersnake is mainly nocturnal, yet it is sometimes seen basking during the daytime.

It feeds primarily on fishes, yet frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders may also be taken.

It is live-bearing. Usually 15-25 live young are born in the summer.

Comparison with other species: The Florida green watersnake (Nerodia floridana) has an unpatterned belly. All other watersnakes lack scales between the eyes and the scales of the upper lip.

Watersnakes are harmless, through they have a mouth full of teeth and will readily bite if they feel theatened. Because they are found around bodies of water, watersnakes are often mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti). Nevertheless, cottonmouths can easily be distinguished from watersnakes. The cottonmouth has a triangular shaped head and vertical pupil. 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, while watersnakes have none.

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