Brown Water Snake

Brown water snakes are aquatic snakes from North America that feed primarily on fish. Many times a brown water snake has been seen with the spines of catfish they’ve eaten sticking out of their sides! They typically recover from these injuries. These snakes are nonvenomous and not aggressive, but they can be mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth.

4 Incredible Brown Water Snake Facts!

• They take on dangerous prey — catfish that have sharp spines. These spines may pierce the snake after the fish is swallowed, but the snake usually survives and recovers.
• A brown water snake may fall out of a tree into the water when startled.
• They hunt by scent rather than by visually tracking movement.
• These snakes release a smelly musk when frightened.

Scientific Name

The brown water snake, also spelled watersnake, has the scientific name Nerodia taxispilota. Nerodia is from the Greek neros translating to “flowing” or “liquid” and dia meaning “through,” while taxis refers to “arrangement” and spilos being “spot.”

It was first described scientifically in 1842 by the American zoologist and herpetologist John Holbrook, who then called the species Tropidonotus taxispilotus, assigning it to a different genus. In 1889, zoologist Edward Cope gave it the identification Natrix taxispilota. The brown water snake received its current scientific identification in 1991. It is part of the family Colubridae and class Reptilia.

Other common names for the brown water snake include water rattle, the southern water snake, the pied water snake, the greater water snake, the water-pilot, the aspic, and the false moccasin.

Sometimes, the common name “brown water snake” is also applied to the species Lycodonomorphus rufulus. These two species should not be confused in identification, as L. rufulus is native to South Africa.

Evolution and Origins

The brown water snake belongs to the Colubridae family, which is the largest of the snake families and has more than 240 genera, including the garter snake, Indian rat snakes, and Asian vine snakes. The earliest colubrid species can be traced back to the Oligocene epoch, 33.9 million to 23 million years ago. Fossils from Adams County in Washington indicate that colubrids were present in the Pliocene (Blancan).

Appearance

This snake has a thick, heavy body that is light brown with darker brown rectangular patches. The patches on the back are larger than those on the sides, and the back and side patches are usually not connected. The brown water snake has a broad, triangle-shaped head with a distinctly narrower neck for its size. For this reason, it is sometimes misidentified as a venomous snake.

Brown water snakes have keeled scales. This means that the scales are not smooth but have a ridge down the center. It has more scales than any other water snake on the continent — 27 to 33 rows of dorsal scales. It also has two to four anterior temporal scales behind the eyes, whereas most other snakes have only one.

Brown water snakes are typically 3.5 to five feet in length. The record size is nearly six feet in length at 69 inches.

Baby snakes are smaller than adult reptiles but the baby’s colors are the same as the adults’ colors. This makes the identification of the baby easier.

How to Identify a brown water snake:

• Brown base color with darker brown rectangular patches
• Large patches on the back, and smaller patches on the sides
• Heavy body with a broad, triangular head
• Eyes set toward the top of the head
• Yellow or cream-colored belly.

Brown Water Snake vs Cottonmouth

Cottonmouths and brown water snakes are often confused because of their similar range, habitat location, colors, body, and head shape.

In the American South, it is often repeated that venomous snakes have triangle-shaped heads. These are facts of the rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and copperheads that live in that location, but it is also true of nonvenomous species like the brown water snake. Sadly, this results in people killing water snakes, thinking they are dangerous.

There are a few subtle differences to look for to tell these snakes apart. Cottonmouths are pit vipers; they have heat-sensing pits between the eye and nostril. Water snakes lack these pits.

Additionally, cottonmouths have a distinctive bright white coloration inside their mouths — hence the name. The white inner lining of the mouth can be seen when the snake is agitated and poised to strike. A brown water snake has a dark-colored mouth.

The pupils of the reptile’s eyes are also slightly different, with the watersnake’s being rounder.

Behavior

These snakes are shy and are likely to flee if approached by a human. They often rest on tree branches overhanging a body of water. They can make a quick getaway by falling into the water if disturbed.

If cornered or captured, a brown water snake will coil, hiss, strike, and attempt to bite. They also release a smelly musk when frightened.

Humans are a much larger threat to these predators than they are to us. Each year, many of these snakes are needlessly killed because they are mistaken for venomous water snakes. Some are killed simply because some people are afraid of all snakes, regardless of the species.

Venom: How Dangerous Are Brown Water Snakes?

Brown water snakes have no venom. When threatened, they are likely to flee. However, these snakes are predators and will bite if cornered. Though not venomous, snake bites can become infected and require medical care.

Habitat

Brown water snakes are endemic or native to southeastern North America. This includes the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

The brown water snake is typically found at elevations ranging from sea level to 500 feet. Their habitat and location consist of streams, swamps, and other wet areas. They must have an aquatic habitat since their primary food source is a diet of fish.

Diet

Brown water snakes eat fish; catfish are their favorite prey. Sometimes they will also eat amphibians such as frogs, invertebrates, or small mammals.

Captive water snakes should be fed a diet of live fish placed in the aquatic portion of their aquarium. Since water snakes hunt by smell and not by sight, they are unlikely to bite your fingers, mistaking them for food.

Predators and Threats

Natural predators of brown water snakes include American alligators, birds of prey, and raccoons. Some larger snakes such as cottonmouths — which are often confused with brown water snakes — may also prey on these snakes. Humans are a threat to this species especially if they misidentify these snakes are cottonmouths.

Population and Conservation

The brown water snake is common or of Least Concern throughout its habitat. It is not protected in much of its range, but there are areas in which killing the brown water snake is illegal, including the state of Georgia.

1. Wikipedia, Available here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_water_snake
2. Savannah River Ecology Laboratory: UGA, Available here: https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/nertax.htm