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Home/Species/ Plain-bellied Watersnake

Nerodia erythrogaster

(Forster, 1771)

Plain-bellied Watersnake

G5Secure Found in 10 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
PSESA Status
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103491
Element CodeARADB22020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyColubridae
GenusNerodia
USESAPS
Other Common Names
plain-bellied watersnake (EN) Plain-bellied Water Snake (EN) Plainbelly Water Snake (EN)
Concept Reference
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.
Taxonomic Comments
Although no subspecies were recognized by Makowsky et al. (2010) and adopted by Crother (2012, 2017), Nicholson (2025) retains two subspecies in the U.S. (N. e. erythrogaster and N. e. transversa), based on the separation of the U. S. populations into two within Alabama, and lack of genetic data for Mexican subspecies.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-12-07
Change Date1996-10-30
Edition Date2005-12-07
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from southern Delaware and southeastern Maryland to northern Florida, west through Georgia and Alabama to southeastern New Mexico and western Texas, thence northward to northeastern Kansas and western Missouri, southward to central Nuevo Leon, Mexico; north in the Mississippi and Ohio river systems to central Illinois and southern Indiana; disjunct populations in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Durango, and Zacatecas; records from West Virginia and Pennsylvania are erroneous; a record from New Jersey probably is based on human introduction (McCranie 1990, Gibbons and Dorcas 2004). Elevational range extends from sea level to 2,042 meters on the Mexican Plateau.
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a very large number of occurrences or subpopulations (see map in McCranie 1990).
Threat Impact Comments
Habitat destruction and/or "human contact" has extirpated this species from some parts of its former range (McCranie 1990), particularly in the north-central part of the range (Great Lakes states; see information for subspecies neglecta).

Apparent range expansion accompanied impoundment of a river in Missouri (see McCranie 1990). This species can successfully colonize and establish populations in reclamation ponds in formerly strip-mined areas (Keck 1998).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This snake occurs in a wide array of aquatic/wetland habitats, generally with permanent or semipermanent water, such as forested and shrubby swamps, marshes, edges of ponds and lakes, ditches, and slow streams. It often basks or rests in water-edge vegetation. It wanders far from water, especially during warm wet weather. Hibernatation sites are underground, under rockpiles, etc.

Reproduction

Gives birth to 5-27 young, August-October (Fitch 1970).
Palustrine Habitats
HERBACEOUS WETLANDFORESTED WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
OklahomaSNRYes
North CarolinaS5Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
MichiganSNRYes
IllinoisS2Yes
MarylandS2Yes
DelawareS1Yes
KansasS5Yes
ArkansasS5Yes
IowaS1Yes
FloridaS3Yes
TennesseeS5Yes
IndianaS2Yes
VirginiaS4Yes
TexasS5Yes
New MexicoS2Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
MississippiS5Yes
KentuckyS4Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
LouisianaS5Yes
MissouriS5Yes
OhioSNRYes
Roadless Areas (10)
Alabama (1)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Arkansas (1)
AreaForestAcres
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Florida (1)
AreaForestAcres
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
Idaho (1)
AreaForestAcres
Bear CreekCaribou-Targhee National Forest118,582
Louisiana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Saline Bayou W & S River CorridorKisatchie National Forest5,355
North Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
Texas (2)
AreaForestAcres
Big CreekNational Forests in Texas1,447
Little Lake CreekNational Forests in Texas596
References (33)
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  2. Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999a. A field guide to Texas reptiles & amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xviii + 331 pp.
  3. Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999b. A field guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xvi + 278 pp.
  4. 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.
  5. Collins, J. T. 1982. Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. Second edition. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., Pub. Ed. Ser. 8. xiii + 356 pp.
  6. 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.
  7. Collins, J. T. 1993. Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. Third edition, revised. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Public Education Series No. 13. xx + 397 pp.
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  19. Johnson, T. R. 2000. The amphibians and reptiles of Missouri. Second edition. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City. 400 pp.
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