Alternate Name(s):

Venom Status:

Non Venomous

Characteristics:

Adult size, 2 ½ to 4 feet. Slender, alert, and usually seen near water, this is another of the many 3-striped snakes. Black above with bright orange vertebral stripe and yellow lateral stripes. Parietal spots well defined and fused. No labial markings but a prominent vertical yellow preocular bar. 19 scale rows and an undivided anal plate. Ovoviviparous. Neonates similar to adults.

Unique Features:

Spots on parietal scales fused, vertebral stripe bright orange.

Habitat and Diet:

Overgrown shorelines of both quiet and flowing waters. Preys on amphibian adults and larvae and small fish.

Geographic Range:

TN, KY, AR, IL, IN, LA, MS, TX, ID, KS, MO, NE, IA, WI