Discover 3 Water Snakes Lurking in New York Waters

Although New York is popular for its metropolitan landscape, it’s likewise popular for it’s huge network of lakes and rivers. In truth, 13.6% of New York’s whole location is water, with the Hudson River, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario simply a few of the significant locations. Therefore, you most likely won’t be amazed to discover many marine and semi-aquatic animals in the state — consisting of snakes! There are 17 types of snakes in New York, and 3 of these can be discovered hiding in the water. Thankfully, none are poisonous, however it’s still a good concept to understand which ones you may experience. So, let’s discover whatever you require to understand about the water snakes in New York!

1. Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)

First, we have the one real water snake in New York — the northern water snake. Northern water snakes are the most typical water snake in the state. They are commonly dispersed throughout the state in all however the most northern counties. Northern water snakes reside in essentially all freshwater environments however do reveal a choice for slow-moving water such as marshes, ponds, and lakes. They can often be observed basking on rocks on the coast or hanging from overhanging greenery, however they seldom ever roaming far from water. Lake Erie, in specific, is home to a big population of northern water snakes. Although the choose subspecies is the ones that happen in New York waters, there’s another subspecies — the Lake Erie water snake — which lives at the western end of the lake.

Northern water snakes are big, effective animals and usually reach lengths of as much as 5 feet. They have brown to brownish-black bodies with darker crossband markings on their neck and spots on their body. They have a comparable look to the poisonous cottonmouth snake and are typically incorrect for them in locations where they share the exact same variety, although the cottonmouth does not populate New York. However, in spite of not being poisonous, the northern water snake is still a hazardous snake as it is extremely aggressive and will consistently strike when threatened. As well as having sharp teeth, these snakes have an anti-coagulant in their saliva. This triggers injuries to bleed a lot, avoiding the blood from thickening correctly.

Northern water snakes are mostly diurnal and are active in between March and October. They are ovoviviparous and bring to life live young in the late summertime and early fall.

2. Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)

The next snake is the semi-aquatic queen snake which resides in shallow, rocky-bottomed streams and ponds. They are a state-endangered types and just happen throughout a handful of counties in the western area of the state. Queen snakes victim primarily on crayfish, which they often hunt for in between and beneath rocks. They are distinctively adjusted to their environment and way of life as they have narrow and clearly flattened heads. This permits them to reach into narrow spaces in between rocks searching for their victim. They likewise have up to 9 thick, plate-like scales on the top of their head and numerous rows of thicker scales beneath their chin. The scales help to secure them versus sharp, abrasive rocks.

Queen snakes are 15 to 24 inches long and have slim gray to brown bodies with yellow or cream-colored stubborn bellies. They likewise have up to 4 dark stripes running along their stomach. They likewise have actually keeled dorsal scales. Additionally, there are often stripes noticeable along their back, although these usually fade as the snake ages. The lips are cream-colored and are rather distinct compared to their brown head. They are not poisonous and hardly ever bite when dealt with, although they might whip around.

Queen snakes emerge from brumation in April and are active till October. They are usually active throughout the day and might sometimes be seen basking near the water’s edge. Like the northern water snake, queen snakes are ovoviviparous and bring to life live young after the eggs have actually hatched inside the female. Juvenile snakes are usually born in between late July and September.

3. Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis saurita)

Although the eastern ribbon snake is not technically a water snake, it is typically discovered around wetland environments throughout the state. Their chosen environments consist of swamps, marshes, streams, and ponds. Eastern ribbon snakes are extremely achieved swimmers and hardly ever roaming far from water. There are 4 subspecies of eastern ribbon snakes. Both the choose subspecies and the northern ribbon snake populate New York. Eastern ribbon snakes are usually 18 to 26 inches long with slim bodies. They have a brown to black ground color with 3 distinct yellowish-colored stripes — one down their back and one on each side. They likewise have actually keeled dorsal scales.

Eastern ribbon snakes likewise rely greatly on the water for their food source. They victim primarily on little fish, frogs, toads, amphibians, and salamanders. Eastern ribbon snakes are neither poisonous nor constrictors. Instead, they just get their victim and swallow it alive. Eastern ribbons snakes likewise depend on the water as a method of getting away a risk. When they are threatened or interrupted, they rapidly leave back into the water instead of responding strongly. However, if they are cornered, then they will whip about and launch foul-smelling musk as a defense reaction.

Eastern ribbon snakes are usually active in between April and October. Mating happens in the spring, and young are born in the late summertime to early fall. Although eastern ribbon snakes can stay active throughout the year if the weather condition is moderate enough, they do usually participate in a state of brumation for the winter season. As an outcome, overwintering typically occurs in common groups in rocky crevices or in abandoned mammal burrows.

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