Characteristics:
     A large, up to 4.5ft, thick bodied snake. The back is black with no pattern. The belly is pale yellow to orangish with no markings. Juveniles have a blotched pattern but it quickly fades with age. Back scales are heavily keeled.

*Note: There are 2 subspecies; the yellowbelly (N. e. flavigaster) and the copperbelly (N. e. neglecta). Primarily distinguished by the color of the belly scales.


Habitat:
    Swamps, lakes, ponds, sloughs. They prefer locations with plenty of vegetation for cover. Most often seen baskin on partially submerged logs.


Behavior:
    This is a true watersnake. They are rarely seen very far from the waters edge. They mate in early summer and give birth to live young in mid to late summer. The eat mostly fish and amphibians. Similar to the northern watersnake, they are often killed when people mistake them for the cottonmouth. They are completely harmelss aside from the nasty "watersnake attitude". The copper-belly subspecies is protected in IL.


Personal Remarks:
    This is a snake we don't see very often. Most of the larger populations are farther south than we usually travel to go herping. Snake Road is where we see them most often. A really nice looking snake, especially when you see some of the large adults.