Fun Broad-banded Water Snake Facts For Kids

Hailing from the southern regions of the United States, banded watersnakes are the most commonly found semi-aquatic snakes. Unlike the snakes found on land, these watersnakes spend the majority of their lifetime underwater, slithering on land occasionally when they have to hunt down some reptiles and amphibians.

The banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata), has a dark brown or a reddish-brown coloration which often perplexes them with venomous cottonmouths (Agikistrodon piscivores).

They have three subspecies, namely, broad-banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata confluens), southern watersnake (Nerodia fasciata fasciata), and the Florida watersnake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris), all with a different geographic distribution within the species range. They have poor vision so they are profoundly active at night.

So, a broad-banded watersnake is prominently nocturnal, but sometimes it can be sighted during daytime chasing fish in shallow waters.

Apart from these basic characteristics, these reptiles are viviparous. They give birth to young live hatchlings and do not have to hatch like other reptiles.

For more relatable content, check out these western ribbon snake facts and scarlet snake facts for kids.
 

Broad-Banded Water Snake Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a broad-banded water snake?

Belonging to the Reptilia class and Colubridae family, this species of Southern watersnakes is one of the most amiable, non-venomous snakes in existence. These are fairly active watersnakes.

True to its common name, Nerodia fasciata spends two-third of its lifetime underneath the water, which makes it an agile swimmer. During droughts and screeching hot summers, these watersnakes migrate to other aquatic habitats where they can prey easily.

What class of animal does a broad-banded water snake belong to?

They belong to the Reptilia class of animals. This southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata) is a species of mostly aquatic non-venomous, colubrid snakes.

How many broad-banded water snakes are there in the world?

Broad-banded water snakes are present in abundance, hence, their exact number is unknown. Their population is stable. However, they are spread across the coastal plain in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and throughout Florida. Its range extends west across southern Alabama and Mississippi and into Louisiana.

Where does a broad-banded water snake live?

The different species of watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata)  generally share habitats of wetlands where they could easily find fish and amphibians. The most popular areas to spot the snakes, however, are central North America and the southeastern U.S.

What is a broad-banded water snake's habitat?

The banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata) has a semi-aquatic habitat. They have a natural history of living in freshwater bodies like lakes, ponds, marshes, and streams. They have a tendency to survive in slightly brackish water and are resistant to saltwater conditions.

Who do broad-banded water snakes live with?

They mostly live on their own but can also be housed in terrariums with other animals and snakes, by creating an environment similar to their semi-aquatic habitat. They are non-venomous in nature. Being harmless, they can sustain themselves quite well in groups.

How long does a broad-banded water snake live?

Their life expectancy ranges to a maximum of eight years in the wild, and 12 years if kept in captivity under adequate conditions.

How do they reproduce?

They are seasonal breeders. They reproduce during the time period of early July and late October. Both mating season and birth timings depend on geographic location and subspecies. They are viviparous.

The females give birth to live young watersnakes that develop inside the female's body. Their offspring are produced in more than one group. Generally, the clutch size varies from 9-57 hatchlings, but on average 25-40 offsprings are produced per litter. The gestation period lasts about 79 days.

What is their conservation status?

These are the most commonly found watersnakes species. They are present in large numbers and can easily be found in ample amounts across the U.S. coastal plains. Hence, these watersnakes are classified under the Least Concern category of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Broad-Banded Water Snake Fun Facts

What do broad-banded water snakes look like?

These watersnakes are dark brown or reddish-brown when it comes to coloration. They are immensely covered with keeled scales.

They have a yellowish belly. The most signifying of their looks are the deep brown and reddish-brown crossbands present all over their body. These crossbands are wider on the back and slender along the sides.

The older watersnakes of this species develop an even brown coloration. Their body can grow up to 24-42 in (61-107 cm) in length.

These water snakes also display sexual dimorphism. Females have a heavier and longer body than males.

Males have comparatively longer tails. Females grow faster compared to males.

This watersnake is frequently mistaken for cottonmouths (a venomous semi-aquatic snake), due to its appearance.

There are three subspecies that share a common array of pattern and pigment with the Nerodia fasciata confluens having a minimum of 11-17 dark bands and Nerodia fasciata fasciata with 22-39 dorsal bands.

They have eyes that are oriented towards the top of their head and face so they are perfectly adapted to swimming on the surface of the water to look for food on the shore and they are equally as deadly underwater when it comes to hunting fish.

They have diminutive teeth and a wispy head only slightly wider than the neck. They also have diagonal red stripes running down between their eyes and the mouth.

How cute are they?

They are very attractive and are often mistaken as copperhead snakes (venomous watersnakes) due to their appearance and distinct coloration and dark crossband scales. However, they are very timid in nature and can flee if startled. While snakes can bite underwater, watersnakes seldom bite unless it becomes difficult to ward off their predators.

They might bite and release a foul-smelling musk. Apart from this, they are gentle and friendly. They do not shy away from getting fed by humans which adds to their charm.

How do they communicate?

There are not enough studies available to detect how exactly these watersnakes communicate. However, they do have a vomeronasal organ through which they can sense the vibrations and locate their prey.

How big is a broad-banded water snake?

It can stretch up to 24-42 in (61-107 cm) in length. It has the ability to flatten its head to appear larger.    In Florida, a subspecies of banded watersnake was found to be 62.6 in (159 cm) long.

How fast can a broad-banded water snake move?

The southern watersnakes are diligently active and rapid swimmers due to their compact length and can move at a speed of 6-7 mph (9.6- 11.2 kph)

How much does a broad-banded water snake weigh?

Through their description, you can infer that they are not very hefty due to their bitsy length and size. They weigh around 16.4 oz (465 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Based on sex, there are no distinct names for the male and female watersnake of this species. In all their fellow species, the males and the females are called by the same name.

What would you call a baby broad-banded water snake?

The baby broad-banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata confluens) goes by the baby name of the parent species. The babies are called snakelets or hatchlings.

What do they eat?

Their most common foods are small fish and amphibians. They also feed on frogs, toads, tadpoles, eels, and salamanders.

Are they poisonous?

The broad-banded water snakes are usually non-venomous. They flatten their heads to appear larger and capture their food targets and in case they escape, they produce an anti-clotting compound in their saliva so that the prey leaves behind a blood trail, making it convenient to be caught.

They even release a smelling musk to ward off their predators. They can be easily gotten rid of by simply leaving them alone.

They could be counted as least venomous when compared to the king cobra, which is the most venomous snake in the world. Its bite can send a human to a state of paralysis.

Would they make a good pet?

These snakes are usually friendly in nature and can be considered good pets. They can easily be fed by humans. They are readily available and are very inexpensive. They can be housed in a woodland or aqua terrarium by creating a similar habitat.

Did you know...

These snakes possess the ability to mimic other dangerous venomous snakes. They do not eat much at once yet their agility remains unhindered. They can hold their breath for up to 20 minutes.

How can you tell the difference between a water snake and a water moccasin?

The major difference in the broad-banded water snake vs water moccasin can be inferred through the description of their body.

A water snake's head is more slender and attaches itself to the neck smoothly, whereas the head of a water moccasin is large and triangular with a dark line running through the eye, elliptical pupils, and large jowls due to their venomous glands.

Watersnakes have round pupils, with darker tops and lighter colors on the sides.

The water moccasin has a heavier body compared to the watersnake. These snakes need to be differentiated with caution as both can be generally mistaken for brown water snakes.

How can you identify a banded water snake?

The most significant things in their description for identification are their dark brown-black crossbands and flatheads. They are often mistaken for other snakes due to their similar appearance and habitats.

They have a tanned body with a yellowish belly with square spots, and bands on the dorsal surface. They set themselves apart with their keeled scales and a divided anal plate.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles from our sea snake facts and brown tree snake facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable broad-banded water snake coloring pages.