Watersnake ID request

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
KSherp
Posts: 6
Joined: January 7th, 2021, 11:14 am
Location: Sumner Co, KS

Watersnake ID request

Post by KSherp »

Hello everyone, I was wondering if you could help me identify this interesting-looking Nerodia I saw last summer In south-central Kansas.

Location: Sumner County (just outside of Belle Plaine)

Habitat: Marshy ditch next to a hedgerow

Thanks in advance!
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
Jeff
Posts: 620
Joined: June 11th, 2010, 6:01 am
Location: Louisiana

Re: Watersnake ID request

Post by Jeff »

Plain-bellied Water Snake, Nerodia erythrogaster. The pale streak atop the crown and darkish bar extending back behind the eye differentiates it from the Common Water Snake, N. sipedon.

You are welcome, and thanks for checking!

Jeff
User avatar
KSherp
Posts: 6
Joined: January 7th, 2021, 11:14 am
Location: Sumner Co, KS

Re: Watersnake ID request

Post by KSherp »

Jeff wrote: April 20th, 2021, 4:29 pm Plain-bellied Water Snake, Nerodia erythrogaster. The pale streak atop the crown and darkish bar extending back behind the eye differentiates it from the Common Water Snake, N. sipedon.

You are welcome, and thanks for checking!

Jeff
Thank you so much! I was thinking Plain-bellied at first, but this individual was unlike any I had ever seen. We had several that looked like this. I guess it just goes to show how much interspecies variation there can be!
Post Reply