The Brown Water Snake is a species of non-venomous Water Snake that is native to the South-Eastern United States.
There is another entirely different species in South Africa that is also called a Brown Water Snake, Lycodonomorphus rufulus.
These snakes typically grow to between 3 and 5 feet in length and are usually brown with darker colored blotches.
Brown Water Snake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Brown Water Snake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Pine Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The genus that the Brown Water Snake belongs to is called Nerodia. This genus contains nine species of Water Snakes that are all native to North America.
Some of the other species in this genus include the Banded Water Snake, the Plainbelly Water Snake and the Common Water Snake.
Species
The scientific name for the Brown Water Snake is Nerodia taxispilota and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
This species was first described in 1842 by an American herpetologist named John Edwards Holbrook.
Brown Water Snake Description
The Brown Water Snake is a heavy bodied snake, that can grow to between 3 and 5 feet in length.
They are typically brown or rusty-brown in color with large darker brown or black blotches covering their body. The scales of the snake are heavily keeled.
They have a large triangular shaped head that is very pronounced from the neck and their eyes and nostrils are positioned high up on the snake’s head.
The reason the eyes and nostrils are positioned like this is to allow the snake to peer above the surface with most of its body still submerged.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Brown Water Snake is native to the South-Eastern United States where it can be found throughout most of Florida.
Their range extends into the Coastal Plains and Piedmont regions of neighbouring States such as South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.
Their range extends Northwards along the Coast through North Carolina and into Virginia.
This species shares some of its geographical range with many well known species including the Florida Softshell Turtle, the Green Anole, the Rainbow Snake, the Coachwhip Snake, the Yellow Bellied Slider and the Peninsula Cooter.
As the Brown Water Snake is a semi-aquatic species, they are always found in or around a source of water such as rivers, lakes or streams.
These snakes like to live in areas with plenty of foliage such as vegetation, logs and low-lying branches around water where they can be found hanging over the water.
Brown Water Snake Behaviour
The Brown Water Snake is a diurnal species, meaning they are primarily active during the day and sleep at night.
However, they are known to change this behaviour at times and become more active late in the evening. This may be due to temperature or presence of predators or prey in the area.
These snakes are highly adapted to life in water and are even capable of staying submerged for up to 30 minutes at a time.
When coming to the surface for air, they have evolved with their eyes and nostrils positioned towards the top of their head. This allows them to stay almost fully submerged and undetectable to predators and prey.
They are excellent hunters and will adopt different strategies in order to optimise their chances of catching a meal.
These snakes are known to sit and wait for a meal to pass and ambush it. They are also known to actively hunt for their meals.
These snakes feed almost exclusively on fish, with catfish making up the vast majority of their diet.
They will catch the fish in water and carry it to shore in their mouth. They will then swallow the meal whole just like other snakes.