Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Here's a question for anyone who has come across the red phase in the wild. This female from last night in western NC appears to be red for a different reason than the male in the second photo found in eastern VA. The second one is from a population that simply have red markings on a regular background, not always as distinctive as this one. But with this female the whole nerodia pattern is "tinted" orange, which is less noticeable when the skin is dry. I believe this is the same gene that makes the red hognose and the snake pictured at the top of this board. When you saw a red nerodia in the wild did it seem to you the cause was reduced melanin or just a strong red pigment?

I caught a red female northern water snake here in Nottoway Cty. Va. last spring that was beautiful!She had red blotches on a gray ground color!I thought she was a corn when I first saw her!I think it's a combo of high red pigment and possible hypo.I need to try to find pics of her,my computer she was on is long gone and I don't think I saved any pics but,I'll look! take care! Jeff

I have an old photo of a snake similar to what you describe but I couldnt find it either. Thank you both for posting these sightings.

Len

I was in Verona, NJ yesterday at a park and saw an orangish N. Sipedon with dull white crossbands. Very beautiful snake, wish I had a camera with me. The ones I have seen in MA and RI where I live have always been jet black. It seems the Sipedon tend to get redder the further south you go in their range?

-Jeff

I think most people say the further north you go the darker the regular ones are, just as the blacker the blacksnakes and the narrower bands on the king, but the red trait and others can crop up anywhere. Since I moved about 200 miles south of my old address I'm seeing the same genetic pool, mostly brown with occasional darker, lighter or red.