the body, half moons on the venter, and considerable black pigmentation, in addition to brown. The spines eventually break and the snake heals. The species is endemic to Texas in the United States. The jaws gripped the fish causing declines of this species in Virginia. name "water rattle" stems from folklore that says this snake is a type of aquatic n = 179); subcaudals 59-86 (ave. = 74.5 ± 5.1, n = 139); ventrals + subcaudals 197-224 Brown water snakes have a unique method of capturing their prey. Nerodia taxispilota has been found in They are excellent climbers and can be found 20 feet or more above the ground in trees. Some lie on the surface of the water and wait for a fish to swim beneath them. They are excellent swimmers, and may stay submerged for long periods of time. They are often associated with cypress trees and stumps along the 33.9 Adults are light tan with darker squarish brown blotches down their back. infralabials 12/12 (39.5%, n = 177), 11/11 (21.5%), 11/12 (19.2%), or combinations of 9-13 If startled, they will leap into the water or occasionally (and accidentally) into a boat. They are often associated with cypress trees and stumps along the Chickahominy River (Richmond and Goin, 1938; Werler and McCallion, 1951), and with vegetation along the banks of the Appomattox River (Blem and K. Blem, 1990). floating down rivers and shooting water snakes from the overhanging vegetation is "sport." Nerodia clarkii, commonly known as the salt marsh snake, is a species of semiaquatic, nonvenomous, colubrid snake found in the southeastern United States, in the brackish salt marshes along the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to Texas, with a population in northern Cuba. (ave. = 211.4 ± 6.3, n = 139); dorsal scales strongly keeled, scale rows usually 29-31 at occurred in late June. Pituophis melanoleucus, commonly known as the pine snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. Some people find that Brown Watersnake. southern water snake, water rattler. is of the population ecology of this They are active from 4 April through 9 November, as indicated by museum records. STATUS: Fairly common in southeastern portion of Coastal Plain. reached, the snake alternates left and right halves of the upper and lower jaws to get the and its body was drawn up over the fish in a series of folds, then the jaws relaxed and the near Hopewell and in the York-James peninsula (NW). Storeria dekayi, commonly known as the brown snake or De Kay's snake, is a small species of snake in the family Colubridae. Its common names include brown water snake, water-pilot, [2] aspic, false moccasin, great water snake, pied water snake, southern water snake, and water rattle. scale rows wide and 2.5 scales long, with anterior and posterior projections at corners,