Floridana Alaskiana v2.5

Brown watersnake, 10 June 2005

Brown watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota)
 Palm Island Park; Mt. Dora, Florida

A small and young Brown watersnake at Palm Island Park in Mt. Dora, Florida. These snakes are closely-related to the Diamondback watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer) of Oklahoma -- but lack much of the Diamondback waternsnake's fiery temper. In my experience, the Brown watersnake has a fairly soft demeanor. Not overly reactive, not too hot headed when cornered. They're more likely to simply look for a way out of the situation.

I caught this individual just off the elevated dockwalk at Palm Island. The dockwalk runs for a bit over the water, just off shore. Brown watersnakes often like to bask in foliage overhanging water. This way they can easily slip into the water when threatened or disturbed.

 

Brown watersnake, 06 June 2004

Brown watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota)
 Palm Island Park; Mt. Dora, Florida; 06 June 2004
 Post originally written 22 December 2008; Republished 07 August 2009

The brown watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota) is a robust, non-venomous watersnake found throughout peninsular Florida (and much of the southeast continental United States).  Genetically, this snake is a close relative of the diamondback watersnake (Nerodia rhombifer) found throughout Oklahoma and parts of the American midwest.  Unlike the diamondback watersnake, the brown watersnake is (in my experiences) a milder, gentler animal.  Though they will strike in self defense (as most wild animals will do when threatened), they're definitely not as punchy as the Florida green watersnake (Nerodia floridana). Most Florida banded watersankes (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris) are quite calm as well, and usually more agreeable. At least, they're easier to get to...

The brown watersnake is considered to be the "most arboreal" of Florida's watersnakes.  They'll often climb trees hanging over or rising above the water's edge.  Whereas with most watersnakes you have to look down to find them -- with brown watersnakes, you have to also remember to look up and across. They'll sometimes bunker along the nooks and crannies of palm trees near a lake's shore. I've found many this way -- by checking out palms about four to five feet off the ground.

The individual photographed here is a gravid female.  She was clearly very pregnant and took to hanging out at this spot along the edge of Lake Dora in Lake county, Florida.  It's an elevated tree stump basin rising about three or four feet from the surface of the shore.  This afforded the snake an excellently defensive stretch to bask upon, with easy exits down and under the stumps through a series of small holes and gaps.  Palm Island Park is one of the few spots I know of where you can almost always find all three dominant species of Floridian watersnakes.