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Nerodia taxispilota

(Holbrook, 1842)

Brown Watersnake

G5Secure Found in 5 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105109
Element CodeARADB22070
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyColubridae
GenusNerodia
Synonyms
Natrix taxispilota
Other Common Names
brown watersnake (EN) Brown Water Snake (EN)
Concept Reference
McCranie, J.R. 1983. Nerodia taxispilota. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 331.1-331.2.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly included in genus Natrix.
Conservation Status
Review Date2006-09-03
Change Date1996-10-30
Edition Date2006-09-03
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
The range encompasses the Coastal Plain from Virginia to southern Florida, and west to Alabama, and also the piedmont of the Carolinas and Georgia (Mount 1975, Tennant 1984, Mitchell 1994, Palmer and Braswell 1995, Ernst and Ernst 2003).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations). Palmer and Braswell (1995) maped well over 100 collection sites in North Carolina alone.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known. Declines may have occurred at the periphery of the range and in areas subject to intense urbanization or pollution (Gibbons and Dorcas 2004). Many watersnakes are killed by people who fear that the snakes are venomous (Mitchell 1994). However, in most areas, this species apparently faces no significant threats.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This snake inhabits rivers, large creeks, lakes, ponds, reservoirs, swamps, and marshes, including brackish tidal waters in some areas; it often climbs into woody vegetation overhanging the water, and it also perches on fallen trees, jetties, duck blinds, debris or other object along shorelines (Ernst and Ernst 2003, Gibbons and Dorcas 2004). In South Carolina, is was significantly associated with the steep-banked outer bends of the river and with areas having good perch-site availability; only large individuals crossed a 100-meter-wide river (Mills et al. 1995).

Ecology

In South Carolina, density was estimated at 43 individuals per km of river habitat; most individuals were found within 250 m of their previous capture location, but a few moved more than 1 km (Mills et al. 1995).

Reproduction

Gives birth to about 14-45 young in summer and early fall. Larger females have larger litters. In central Georgia, courtship occurred in late April-early May; young were born in late August-early September; males were sexually mature in 2.5 years, females in 3.5 years (Herrington 1989).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDSCRUB-SHRUB WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
VirginiaS4Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
AlabamaS3Yes
FloridaS4Yes
Roadless Areas (5)
Florida (3)
AreaForestAcres
Alexander Springs CreekOcala National Forest2,954
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
North Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
References (18)
  1. Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1981. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part One: The Snakes. Windward Publishing Company, Miami, Florida. 176 pp.
  2. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  3. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  4. Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
  5. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  6. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  7. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  8. Ernst, C. H., and E. M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.
  9. Fitch, H. S. 1970. Reproductive cycles of lizards and snakes. Univ. Kansas Museum Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 52:1-247.
  10. Gibbons, J. W., and M. E. Dorcas. 2004. North American watersnakes: a natural history. University of Oklahoma Press, Norman. xxvi + 439 pp.
  11. Herrington, R. E. 1989. Reproductive biology of the brown water snake, <i>Nerodia taxispilota</i>, in central Georgia. Brimleyana. No. 15:103-110.
  12. Lawson, R. 1987. Molecular studies of thamnophiine snakes: 1. The phylogeny of the genus <i>Nerodia</i>. J. Herpetology 21:140-157.
  13. McCranie, J.R. 1983. <i>Nerodia taxispilota</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 331.1-331.2.
  14. Mills, M. S., C. J. Hudson, and H. J. Berna. 1995. Spatial ecology and movements of the brown water snake (<i>Nerodia taxispilota</i>). Herpetologica 51:412-423.
  15. Mitchell, J. C. 1994. The reptiles of Virginia. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. xv + 352 pp.
  16. Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.
  17. Palmer, W. M., and A. L. Braswell. 1995. Reptiles of North Carolina. North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
  18. Tennant, A. 1997. A field guide to snakes of Florida. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xiii + 257 pp.