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Thanks to everyone who has been answering all my questions. I finally got a pic of the Southern Water Snake that I'll be getting once his eye injury is finished healing. I'm curious what type of Southern Water he is. Can you tell by this picture?

Here is a pic of his injured eye. If you missed my previous posts, he had a blister over his eye that popped. I have not seen this snake in person yet, he belongs to a friend of a friend. They are keeping him until the eye heals and he sheds at least once. They think he will probably lose the eye. Doesn't seem to be bothering him any though, he's active and is eating good. Can't wait to get little Ripley home.

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www.LynsLair.com
Western New York Herpetological Society
0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Ratsnake (Pumpkin)
0.0.1 Southern Water Snake (Ripley) coming soon!
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
1.0 Albino American Bullfrog (Prince)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.9 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Buttercup, Nala, Mystique, Jewel, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Princess Leo, Twister)

I found pics of the 3 main types and he definitely doesn't look like a broad banded. One of the sites mentioned head shape, stating that some sub species have a flat head while others have a distinct bend. Ripley seems to have the bend. But now I can't find that site again. He looks a little like some of the Banded pics I found. I had trouble finding many Florida pics to compare though. So my guess so far is that Ripley is a Banded. Does anyone agree or disagree?
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www.LynsLair.com
Western New York Herpetological Society
0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Ratsnake (Pumpkin)
0.0.1 Southern Water Snake (Ripley) coming soon!
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
1.0 Albino American Bullfrog (Prince)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.9 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Buttercup, Nala, Mystique, Jewel, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Princess Leo, Twister)

You're probably right Lyn, but it is really hard to be certain from the photo. A clean dorsal shot and a belly shot would help. I'm not a fasciata expert, but Andy and some others who are familiar with them could nail it for sure.
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Tim

adept with the more eastern fasciata subspecies. I know confluens well, but I have seen very few of the eastern subspecies up close and personal. My guess, just going off my gut feeling, is concurrent with yours. I will have to say banded, but as I hinted at, I am not the best one to offer my opinion on the subject.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

I found two banded here locally last week that look identical, only a bit younger. However, I've also found variations of N.fasciata here that lack the patterned ventral that the ones you have pictured look. I'll enclose a pic of one of the variations I've found, this one has patternless belly, and get some new ones up here in couple of days for comparison. Definately a banded (fasciata) though.

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Conrad
Too Fast Reptiles
www.toofastreptiles.bravehost.com

It's either a Banded Water snake (N. f. fasciata) or a Florida Water snake (N. f. pictiventris). Belly markings will help determine which one. If there are wavy, "wormlike" markings across the belly (red or black), it's pictiventris. If there are squarish-looking blotches, it's fasciata. In either case, nice looking snake! I hope you can save his eye.
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MichaelB