Florida Green Water Snake Belly

The belly color extends onto the chin and lips.

Florida green water snake belly. Subspecies can be brown gray olive green greenish gray and black in color. Nerodia floridana is the largest watersnake in north america reaching 30 55 in 76 140 cm. Photo by dr steve a. Florida green watersnakes are highly aquatic and prefer still wetlands with a high density of aquatic vegetation.

Similar in appearance to the mississippi green water snake but inhabits marshes and wet prairie habitats instead of forested wetlands. The belly frequently is a lighter contrasting color. Florida green water snake. Like all other water snakes the florida green water snake is commonly mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth.

In death the green coloration changes to blue gray there are 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody and the scales are strongly keeled. This photo may not be used for any purpose without the express written permission of the photographer. Florida snakes visual identification. A slender bright green snake with a cream to pale yellow belly.

Adults are generally solid greenish brownish with a plain belly that is whitish in color. Light to creamy belly and chin and the scales on the back have keels the sides do not. The pupils are round. Comparison with other species.

It feeds on frogs tadpoles salamanders and fishes. Harmless water snake are often confused with the venomous cottonmouth agkistrodon piscivorus. This snake can be distinguished from other water snakes by its plain unmarked underside varying in color from red to yellow. The record is 45 4 inches 115 3 cm.

Black non poisonous snake with a fairly uniform round head. It has dark round eyes. Juvenile snakes have about 50 dark bars down their dorsum and on their sides which fade gradually with age. The third picture was modified to accentuate the keeled scales.

The cottonmouth is usually darker and will typically open its mouth as a warning display showing the bright white interior of its mouth. The mississippi green water snake nerodia cyclopion and florida green water snake nerodia floridana have scales between the eye and the scales on the upper lip. The eastern green water snake nerodia floridana is a heavy bodied snake with either a greyish greenish or red brown color above the tail and a yellowed belly. The plain bellied water snake is a large thick bodied solid colored snake.

Some lighter colored snakes dispaly dark dorsal blotches. Crossbands are bands of color extending across the back and down the sides but do not cross the belly.