Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

I keep a variety of snakes and have recently been considering watersnakes. I see tons of them in the wild and I am particularly fond of queen snakes for some reason. Although northern watersnakes are pretty cool too. I am wondering if anyone can point me to some good material to read up on care of watersnakes? Also, in your opinions how hard are watersnakes to care for? Do they pose risk to infections more because they prefer a more watery habitat? I understand that filtration and whatnot would probably be recommended, but anything past that? I know most snakes dont require supplementative lighting....but what about watersnakes? I know they bask from time to time, etc. so just thought I would ask?

Any recommendations for a first watersnake? I dont mind aggressiveness as I have proper tools that I use to handle hots and so forth.

I would appreciate any thoughts or information.

Best Wishes,

Chris
-----
Chris Law
U.A.P.P.E.A.L. (Uniting a Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League)
Herpetoculture Element Representative

good to see you on this forum Chris. I was a bit suprised ot see you username on here.lol. go here
http://www.freewebs.com/mikesnake/garterswaters.htm
-----
Justin

Hi Justin,

Yeah, I am trying to expand my horizons a bit, ya know? Considering that one of these years I would like to open a reptile zoo here in Columbus, Ohio I need experience with all types of reptiles. Furthermore, during field herping I have come cross A LOT of water snakes and have grown a healthy interest in them. Thanks for your article, although I have one concern about it that I will email you about.

Thanks,

Chris
-----
Chris Law
U.A.P.P.E.A.L. (Uniting a Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League)
Herpetoculture Element Representative

Water snakes can make for very easy captives, but the general demands they make of keepers are a bit different than the impressions you have.

You like queen snakes because they are very sightly animals but they do not make good first-time captives for multiple reasons. Behaviorally, they spend more time in the water than most Nerodia (standard water snake genus) and this can cause health problems in a captive setting. The diet is quite specialized, with the preferred bulk item being freshly-shed crayfish. These two problems go for most Regina and make them less optimal captives by far than Nerodia.

The northern water snakes you mention, and most others in the Nerodia genus with them, are fairly simple snakes to maintain. They are not as aquatic as you have concieved. While they do almost all of their hunting and fleeing in the water, most hiding and all basking (these two parts comprise the bulk of the animals' time) occur out of the water. Keep them in a wet environment and they quickly succumb to fungal and/or bacterial infections. A large water bowl cleaned out frequently is all they need. Consider that if you catch your own, medium-sized animals can be a fair choice since they are less delicate than neonates but not bulky and so impossibly vicious as most big ones tend to be.

Very good advice and info! Thank you very much for your response and help. Most likely I will look into a Northern as my first. I appreciate your help!

Do you happen to know of any good books or sites on care of waters?

Thanks,

Chris
-----
Chris Law
U.A.P.P.E.A.L. (Uniting a Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League)
Herpetoculture Element Representative

North American Water Snakes: A Natural History. Gibbons and Dorcas. 2004. University of Oklahoma Press.

It's a great book, although it will cost you forty to fifty bucks. It covers life history info about all species (both Nerodia and Regina). It is not, however, a pet guide. You'll have to come equipped with common sense and be interpretive. If you're after a simple pet guide, go with any generic colubrid captive maintenance book, and add a bigger water bowl.

Northern water snakes are a great first. Generally, easy to feed, easy to house, easy to breed, and so forth. Start with medium-sized animals if you want to practice any interaction with them. If you are bitten, as with some snakes, the wound will bleed rather profusely. These snakes contain an anticoagulant in their saliva and it prevents immediate clotting. Doesn't make a bite hurt any worse, but knowing that info will limit any panic should one of them make you spring a leak some day.

Hey thanks!! I appreciate the info. I was told about their anti-coagulant saliva before and it sounded really fun!! Here is a couple pics of some that my friends and I caught while doing some herping.

-----
Chris Law
U.A.P.P.E.A.L. (Uniting a Proactive Primate and Exotic Animal League)
Herpetoculture Element Representative

...
-----
Justin