Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The Location: Trimble Park, Lake county, central Florida (north and northwest of Orlando. West of Sanford. Far south of Gainesville & Ocala).

The Habitat: Lakeside - quickly retreated into the water (only got a couple of photographs).

Size: Fairly thick Nerodia... Probably about 3 1/2 feet in length.

Nerodia supposed to be found in this region (central Florida, interior):
-Florida banded watersnake (N. fasciata pictiventris)
-Florida green watersnake (N. floridana)
-Brown watersnake (N. taxispilota)

Other Florida Nerodias, but not supposed to be right here:
-Mangrove salt marsh snake (N. clarkii compressicauda) [gulf coast, peninsula]
-Atlantic salt marsh snake (N. clarkii taeniata) [atlantic coast, peninsula]
-Gulf salt marsh snake (N. clarkii clarkii) [gulf coast, panhandle]
-Green watersnake (N. cyclopion) [panhandle, northwest]
-Redbelly watersnake (N. erythrogaster erthrogaster) [north]
-Yellowbelly watersnake (N. erythrogaster flavigaster) [panhandle]
-Banded water snake (N. fasciata fasciata) [north & panhandle]
-Midland watersnake (Nerodia sipedon pleuralis) [north & panhandle]

Alright, so I got this picture of this snake... And I'm stumped. I've thrown this question out at various places (like in the watersnake forum). I've had mixed responses that this could be a remarkably red variant of the Florida green watersnake - or - a banded watersnake.

What's your take? What do you think? I'm eager to identify this fellow so I can put these pictures on the right page of my Florida wildlife site!!!

Thanks for your time!

Beneath the Spanish Moss: Florida Wildlife Photography

I would say that it is a green.

Frank
-----
"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

Underside looks like a Banded, but body looks like a Brown... i would need a better pic then this.

Brandon

I was on the Florida banded watersnake guess for a while. The majority of responses I've received (elsewhere and on e-mail) point toward the Florida green watersnake - albeit a remarkably red specimen.

Unfortunately, the snake was not in a position where I could get more/better photographs. This particular picture is a cropped blow-up of the original. I had time for one quick shot - and that's it. I haven't seen any more "red" ones - but Trimble Park does have Florida banded watersnakes and Florida green watersnakes. I haven't seen any brown watersnakes at that particular park, although there's no reason in the world why it couldn't be there...

I'll attach pictures of these other two from the area just below -

- janson.

Brown watersnake:

Florida banded watersnake: