Alternate Name(s):

Venom Status:

Non Venomous

Characteristics:

This aquatic snake is adult at 20-30 inches in length. It occasionally exceeds 3 feet.Tan through olive to dark brown above. Broad yellow(ish) lateral stripe narrowly bordered below by brown. Belly yellowish with 2 lines of conspicuous central brown spots. Scales keeled. Ovoviviparous. Young are like the adults but more precisely marked.

Unique Features:

Habitat and Diet:

Shrub edged, rocky to clear sandy bottomed rivers and streams. Although predominantly aquatic, this snake basks extensively in water-edge shrubs. It feeds almost entirely on freshly shed (soft-shelled) crayfish.

Geographic Range:

FL, GA, SC, Al, NC, TN, KY, VA, WV, NY, AR, IL, IN, MD, MS, MI, MO, NJ, OH, WI, PA