Diamondback Water Snake: Habitat, Diet, and Identifcation Tips

Key Tips

• Diamondback water snakes are nonvenomous and native to the Mississippi River Basin and surrounding areas in North America and the japanese areas of Mexico.
• Often confused with cottonmouths, diamondback water snakes are nonvenomous.
• All water snakes give start to infants, they don’t lay eggs.
• Diamondback water snakes may even give start with out mating.

What is a Diamondback Water Snake 

Diamondback water snakes are one species out of the ten or so within the Nerodia genus. They’re intently associated to the semiaquatic garter snakes, however a lot thicker-bodied and intensely defensive. But despite the fact that they pack a mouthful of razor-sharp tooth, diamondback water snakes are nonvenomous. 

Native to the United States and the japanese coast of Mexico, diamondback water snakes are the largest water snake species.

Habitat: Where to Find a Diamondback Water Snake

These fish and frog eaters are by no means removed from water. Diamondback water snakes are almost at all times in or close to a everlasting water supply the place they’ll discover meals — strongly preferring slow-moving water like lakes, rivers, and swamps. These snakes are most typical alongside the Mississippi River Valley and surrounding areas, however their vary spreads east and west from the river. They additionally dwell in Mexico, the place they inhabit many lakes and rivers alongside japanese coasts as far south as Tabasco. 

These snakes spend a lot of their time within the water, and that’s the place many individuals discover them. However, diamondback water snakes are sometimes discovered dangling over the water, ready for a meal. Like all reptiles, they bask on something heat and sunny, like rocks and tree stumps — slipping shortly into the water on the first signal of hazard.

There is a small inhabitants of launched diamondback water snakes in Lafayette Reservoir of Contra Costa County, California. Experts consider these are the results of launched pets. 

Diet & Behavior: What Do Diamondback Water Snakes Eat 

That these snakes dwell in and across the water is smart if you perceive their favourite meals is fish. But diamondback water snakes eat greater than fish — additionally they eat varied amphibians like frogs and salamanders.

When threatened, diamondback water snakes flatten their heads and hiss — which shortly escalates to repeated biting makes an attempt. You don’t need one in every of these snakes to chew you. They aren’t venomous, however it hurts! On prime of that, their saliva comprises an anticoagulant that may maintain you bleeding for a couple of minutes.

This species hunts through the day and hangs from branches with simply their heads underwater, ready to ambush their prey. Diamondback water snakes additionally hunt actively by means of slow-moving water, in rocky, marshy areas. 

During the cooler months, diamondback water snakes discover a cozy place to sleep till the climate warms within the spring.

Diamondback Water Snakes: Babies and Reproduction

Although you may even see child diamondback water snakes, you’ll by no means see an egg. 

This species doesn’t lay eggs, as an alternative after the feminine mates she holds the young inside whereas they develop, giving start to them once they’re prepared. Diamondback water snakes mate within the spring and provides start to infants (additionally known as neonates) in late summer time and early fall. 

Many snakes do that, together with most vipers, pit vipers like rattlesnakes, and garter snakes. Scientists don’t know why some reptile species determined that laying eggs wasn’t the way in which to go. However, they do know that it offers these young a greater survival probability. Egg-laying reptiles typically lose eggs to predators and typically easy accidents, so this is smart. 

There is even proof that moms assist the growing snakes with vitamins — making carrying them internally much more priceless to the infants. Some snakes and this species is one, even have the power to breed with out mating — it’s known as facultative parthenogenesis. 

How to Identify a Diamondback Water Snake 

These snakes have a weighty really feel to them. Diamondback water snakes are stocky and normally round three to 4 ft lengthy, though the document size was 5 ft, 9 inches. Their heads are triangular with vertical bars alongside their lips and their eyes are positioned increased on their head — giving them a kind of “derpy” look. As far as eyes, they’ve spherical pupils. But, usually talking, if you need to have a look at a snake’s eyes to inform whether or not it’s venomous, you might be too shut and lacking just a few identification components. 

Diamondback water snakes have keeled scales and a diamond sample which provides them their title. Some folks describe it as having a “chainlink fence” look. Although their sample is beautiful, it fades as they age, typically turning into almost black — besides for his or her bellies that are light-colored with crescent-shaped markings. 

The three subspecies are solely marginally totally different visually, however right here they’re: 

• Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer: The nominate subspecies, these snakes are discovered within the U.S. These water snakes have sturdy crescent-shaped stomach markings and paler dorsal markings.
• N. r. blanchardi and N. r. werleri: These subspecies are discovered solely in Mexico. Their stomach markings are paler and dorsal markings are stronger.

Identification Tips

Most water snakes get confused with venomous cottonmouths occasionally. It’s fairly widespread, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with snakes or, they only scare you. That’s okay! We are right here to assist with just a few useful suggestions that will help you determine whether or not you noticed a water snake or a cottonmouth.

Eyes, head form, and facial markings. If you ever heard the wive’s story that each one venomous snakes have vertical, cat-eye-shaped pupils, that is the place it got here from. That story originated in folks making an attempt to distinguish between cottonmouths and water snakes! Of course, we all know that not all venomous snakes have cat-eye pupils, simply check out a coral snake — their pupils are spherical. 

A cottonmouth has cat-eye pupils, many have a darkish stripe behind the attention, and all have an additional scale over every eye. Their heads are harshly angular, with massive venom glands within the cheeks. These snakes look indignant — like anyone swiped the final of their espresso. It’s due to that additional scale over their eye. Also, in the event you’re shut sufficient to see their pupil form, backing up is a good suggestion. 

Water snakes have darkish bars or skinny vertical strains alongside their lips. They even have spherical pupils and eyes set increased on the top. They look “derpy.” If you will have ever seen a photograph, you realize what we imply!

Neck and physique thickness. Cottonmouths have very skinny necks and stout our bodies that finish in a really skinny tail. 

Water snakes have thicker necks in comparison with cottonmouths. Their our bodies are additionally thinner total.

Behavior. Cottonmouths usually warn you by gaping their mouth at you. If a snake does this, again away slowly. Venomous snakes don’t normally wish to chew. Venom is resource-intensive and takes time to rebuild, so not envenoming each menace is a better transfer for them.

Diamondback water snakes received’t warn you. They’ll first attempt escaping, if that doesn’t work, they only chew. Repeatedly. These snakes are additionally infamous for musking — defecating on you and secreting a noxious substance on the identical time. 

Color and Pattern. This merchandise is intentionally on the backside of the listing — it’s for these moments the place it’s onerous to see the top.

Young cottonmouths have brilliant patterns with pixelated chocolate kiss-shaped markings over a lighter brownish coloration. Their tails are brilliant yellow or inexperienced and they’re fairly straightforward to identify. Mature cottonmouths typically lose the sample and develop into very darkish. You would possibly see traces of their sample alongside their decrease edges, close to their stomach, however typically it’s invisible. Yet, you should still be capable of spot their unusually skinny tail.

The identical holds true with young diamondback water snakes. Their juvenile sample may be very brilliant and apparent — chainlink markings are simply seen. As they mature, their our bodies darken and conceal the markings.