Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Me and my girlfriend were kayaking along when we came across this snake. Needless to say I got really really wet in catching him for this pic. Physically, it looks like an eastern banded water snake but the pattern proves that it is not. We looked through all of our books and the only snake that comes close to the pattern is a brown water snake (Nerodia taxispilota). It was such an amazing reddish/copper color underwater. I wish we could have gotten a wet picture of it before letting it go, but I feel fortunate enough to have gotten this one for as feisty as it was. So what do yall think, is it a brown water snake?????

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3.3 leopards( 3 tremper albinos,1 high yellow, 2 tang)1.0 African fattail,0.1 pink toe tarantula,1.0 mexican red knee tarantula,1.0 albino sonoran gopher,1 eastern painted turtles,0.1 sun conure,55 gallon freshwater tank, and one five gallon brackish tank with 2 baby flounder, and two chihuahuas......and thats all!
My Site

Location? Looks like a youngster, how big/long is it? Belly pattern would help with the ID also.

Whatever it is, nice pic and a pretty snake.
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MichaelB

If it was in the SE U.S., it's a brown. If it was in Texas or a neighboring state or a bit north, it's a blotched.
Without knowing, & just going from the picture without seeing the belly, which is also key, I'd have to guess blotched. The brown's belly has a lot of dark pigmentation, the blotched has a yellow belly with a little dark pigment in it. This post just goes to show that even with a good photograph, knowing where the animal was caught is still a critical piece of information.

~~Greg~~
Florida's Venomous Snakes

I think it looks like some sort of hybrid. It has the coloring of a banded (fasciata) water snake but the pattern of a brown (taxispilota). The head is somewhat like a banded but could be a little narrow. Notice that the first "blotch" is actually a band as well.

If forced to guess, I would guess it is either an aberrant fasciata or a taxispilota x fasciata hybrid.

I don't see anything erythrogaster in it.

I am making this assumption based on you being somewhere in the SE US.
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Chris Harrison

as I can definitely see the fasciata (or fasciata influence) in the snake.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: thekingofproduct
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
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Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

"A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika. Nothin' proper about ya propaganda. Fools follow rules when the set commands ya. Said it was blue when ya blood was red. That's how ya got a bullet blasted through ya head"- Rage Against the Machine

That is 100% pleuralis. I've caught them with similar coloration in Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia. They can be surprisingly colorful! That individual does look a little undernourished.

Just a note - all sipedon are banded for the first third of their length or so.
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Pierson Hill

Herpetology and Herpetoculture

Wow, yeah it is funny how you don't think to put the location or any additional information when you are posting a pic but then again I was posting it late. I can't believe I forgot to, as I am usually the one who gripes about more info in other forums including LOCATION. But it is kinda cool to see yall work your knowledge with very little info except for a pic. Impressively enough, yes i am in the SE. I am in Georgia, just above the middle.I do not recall the belly, though the snake was about 20-24 inches long.
Thanks for all the replies!
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3.3 leopards( 3 tremper albinos,1 high yellow, 2 tang)1.0 African fattail,0.1 pink toe tarantula,1.0 mexican red knee tarantula,1.0 albino sonoran gopher,1 eastern painted turtles,0.1 sun conure,55 gallon freshwater tank, and one five gallon brackish tank with 2 baby flounder, and two chihuahuas......and thats all!
My Site

Look like a midland water snake to me. Nerodia Sipedon Pleuralis.

I doubt it's a banded. It looks most like a midland water snake.

I also vote Plueralis.

Looks just like my midland. Sometimes the bands don't meet in the middle.