Are you scared of snakes? They don’t want anything to do with you either! Many people fear our legless friends, but they play an integral role in our ecosystems and try their best to avoid humans. Even though snakes have a bad reputation, we would be a lot worse off without them! One particular species of importance is the northern watersnake, or Nerodia sipedon. They can be found throughout the entire Chesapeake Bay Watershed and occur throughout large parts of eastern and central North America.

The northern watersnake can vary in coloration and size, making them a little tricky to identify. They can range from reddish brown to black and have a checkerboard-like pattern on their back. Their bellies are white or cream-colored and have a pattern of small, dark crescent-shaped markings. As the snakes mature, their color may darken, with older individuals appearing solid dark brown to black.

Two adult northern watersnakes (Photo Credit: paherps.com).

Due to these variations, they sometimes get misidentified as their venomous look-alike, the northern cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus). A quick way to distinguish the two is the cottonmouth has a dark brown stripe behind its eye. Another good way to identify species is to check your location! They have a relatively small range overlap and cottonmouths do not reside north of Virginia. Unlike the cottonmouth, northern watersnakes are non-venomous, but it is still best to admire from afar. They have a reputation for being a little feisty, and will bite if disturbed.

Northern watersnake range (Photo Credit: scparc.org).

 

Northern cottonmouth range (Photo credit: scparc.org).

The northern watersnake plays a critical role in keeping the Chesapeake ecosystem healthy by acting as a predator as well as prey. They regulate populations of their main food sources: fish and amphibians, and occasionally snack on small mammals and insects. By often consuming diseased and dying fish, they minimize the spread of disease, benefiting the overall health of fish populations. They also contribute to ecosystem health by being a food source for kingsnakes, raccoons, eastern snapping turtles, and largemouth bass. 

Northern watersnakes stay true to their names and typically reside in or near any bodies of water or wetland habitat. Although all snakes can swim, water snakes have special adaptations specific to aquatic living; they can stay underwater for up to 60 minutes!

Northern watersnake swimming (Photo Credit: Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas).

While most snakes lay eggs, northern watersnakes are ovoviviparous, meaning females carry the eggs inside of their bodies and then give birth to live young! Once they are born, they don’t receive care from their mother, and are at their most vulnerable. At only 6-12 inches long, they are a tasty meal for a variety of larger fish species.

Despite fearing large, hungry fish, there are a few other threats the northern watersnake faces. Population numbers are currently stable, but habitat loss is a rising threat, as well as people killing them after mistaking them for cottonmouths. If you see any snake, please appreciate it from a distance and they will do the same. It is unfortunate that many serpents have a bad reputation, but just like all creepy-crawlies, they’re essential to the environment. They’re just trying to make it through their day, just like us!