Common Watersnake

(Nerodia sipedon)

Conservation  •  Description  •  Habitat  •  Ecology  •  Distribution  •  Taxonomy

Common Watersnake
Photo by Jeff LeClere

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

NatureServe

N5 - Secure
S4 - Apparently Secure

Minnesota

not listed

Description

The background color is reddish-brown to tan or gray, but it may appear all brown, especially when dry. There are dark brown to black, squarish blotches on the back and similar spots on the sides. The back spots sometimes alternate with the side spots, sometimes join with them to form bands. The belly is cream colored and is usually irregularly covered with reddish, half-moon shaped marks.

Size

Total length: 24″ to 55″

Similar Species

Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus) tail ends in a small, dark-colored rattle.

Northern cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) is similar but have bands instead of blotches on the back. Their range does not extend to the upper Midwest.

Habitat

Ponds, lakes, marshes, streams, and river backwaters.

Ecology

Behavior

It can often be seen basking on a tree branch or shrub on the shore or bank of a river or stream.

t is not poisonous to humans but it can deliver a painful bite if cornered.

Lifespan

Up to 9.6 years

Life Cycle

 

Food

Fish, mammals, frogs, toads, salamanders, crayfish, worms, young snakes, young turtles, and insects.

Distribution

Distribution Map
2/5/2026

Sources

14, 24, 30, 78, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 2/5/2026).

Nerodia sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758) in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org. Accessed 2/5/2026.

Occurrence

 

Taxonomy

Class

Reptilia (Reptiles)

Superorder

Lepidosauria

Order

Squamata (Snakes and Lizards)

Suborder

Serpentes (Snakes)

Family

Colubridae (Colubrid Snakes)

Subfamily

Natricinae

Genus

Nerodia (Watersnakes)

Subordinate Taxa

Carolina Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon williamengelsi)

Lake Erie Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon insularum)

Midland Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon pleuralis)

Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)

Synonyms

Coluber sipedon

Natric sipedon

Natrix sipedon

Natrix sipedon williamengelsi

Nerodia agassizii

Common Names

Common Watersnake

Common Water Snake

Northern Watersnake

Visitor Photos

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Jeff LeClere

Common Watersnake

Jason Durnen

Common Watersnake

Minnesota Seasons Photos

Slideshows

Visitor Videos

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Other Videos

Northern watersnake - Nerodia sipedon sipedon - Hamilton County, Ohio, USA - May 27, 2013
William Hull

About

Published on May 29, 2013

Northern watersnake eating what appears to be a Stonecat Madtom.

Venom H.L. Non Venomous, Northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
VenomHerpLair

About

Published on Jul 28, 2013

Venom H.L. Non Venomous, Northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon) In HD
VenomHerpLair

About

Published on Aug 24, 2013

Northern watersnake
nwwmark

About

Uploaded on Aug 23, 2009

The Northern watersnake is certainly one of the most enigmatic ambush predators to be found. They live in an aquatic world of ponds, bogs, marshes and also brooks if the water is slow moving. They wait in an ambush position within these bodies of water searching for their prey which consists of a wide variety of animals including, frogs, salamanders, juvenile turtles and amazingly they even catch fish! They can grow to be a large bulky snake with some reaching well over 50 inches in length and being easily as thick as an adults arm! When threatened, they much prefer to bolt into the cover of the water but if cornered, to defend themselves they will lash out viciously biting and wriggling there strong bodies. When they are picked up they will secret a fowl smelling pungent odor and urinate all in an attempt to return to the safety of the water they call home. They are a beautiful snake and when young, have amazing markings and colorations. As they get older, they get darker in color and eventually nearly all black. I grew up catching and releasing these snakes as a child and have always thought of them fondly. Like all wild species, they require habitat to remain healthy and allow future generations to enjoy the wonder of the Northern watersnake! I'm Mark Fraser see me at http://www.naturewalkswithmark.org, and thank you for helping to protect the natural world!

Did you know?

Northern watersnakes can grow as long as 53 inches!

They often catch fish! Awesome!

As reptiles, they must bask in sunlight to regulate their body temperature.

They are sometimes eaten by predators such as: raccoons, fox and birds of prey, which is why they have learned to thrash wildly to escape when held.

60-Second Snakes: The Northern watersnake
MichiganDNR

About

Published on Jul 24, 2015

The Michigan DNR’s 60-Second Snakes video series talks about identification tips and information about Michigan’s snake species. This episode features the northern watersnake. Learn more about the northern watersnake: http://bit.ly/northernwatersnake. A special thanks to Nature Discovery (http://bit.ly/1IcfFlb) for the opportunity to film their live educational snake specimens.

Visitor Sightings

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Jason Durnen
7/13/2019

Common Watersnake

Location: Winona

Jonathan H.
9/13/2017

Location: Eagle Creek in Scott County

Adult seen swimming along the bottom of stream until disappearing somewhere in the stream bank.

Jeff LeClere
2006

Common Watersnake

Location: Houston County

northern watersnake

Minnesota Seasons Sightings