Brown water snake
Not venomous · Nerodia taxispilota
HarmlessNot dangerous to people
Not venomous.
- Lives in
- 7 states
- Size
- 30–60 in
- Open US records
- 5,157
- Group
- Snake
How to identify it
- Brown with square dark blotches in rows along the back and sides
- Head wider than neck, which makes people think viper
- Round pupils, no heat pit
- Often basks on branches over water
Size: 30–60 in (total length). Habitat: Rivers, lakes and cypress swamps of the Southeast.
Where it lives
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
When it is out
Look-alikes
- Cottonmouth vs Brown Water Snake Cottonmouth: dangerous
State by state
| State | Status | Open records | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Lives here | 3,114 | 32 |
| Florida | Lives here | 581 | 41 |
| Virginia | Lives here | 522 | 16 |
| North Carolina | Lives here | 413 | 40 |
| South Carolina | Lives here | 402 | 18 |
| Alabama | Lives here | 74 | 14 |
| Louisiana | Lives here | 35 | 6 |
| Mississippi | Rare records | 8 | 2 |
| Texas | Rare records | 4 | 1 |
| Arkansas | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| Colorado | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| New York | Rare records | 1 | 0 |
| Tennessee | Rare records | 1 | 0 |
States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.
Questions
Where does the brown water snake live?
In 7 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Rare records also come from Arkansas, Colorado, Mississippi, New York, Tennessee and Texas.
Is the brown water snake dangerous?
Harmless. Not venomous.
How do you identify a brown water snake?
Brown with square dark blotches in rows along the back and sides. Head wider than neck, which makes people think viper. Round pupils, no heat pit.
When is the brown water snake most active?
Most open US records fall in September to October.