Floridana Alaskiana v2.5

Florida banded watersnake, 19 March 2005

Florida banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris)
 Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge; Deleon Springs, Florida

Today is Thursday 15 October 2009. I'm coming out of a couple of hellish weeks of remarkable busyness. And suddenly? Suddenly I find myself not only completely caught up on classwork, but actually about eight hours ahead of schedule. Right now, my daughter is even napping in the living room... So, I'm sitting here --for what feels like the first time in ages-- alone and with time to just be. I am relaxing. Listening to Bono tell me, "I can breathe." I agree. I can.

So, I cracked open my photo archive to find something to post. The first image I spotted was the one at the top of this post. All three of these images are of a neonate Florida banded watersnake at Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge in Volusia county, Florida. In the top shot, the snake is peering at the lens of my friend's Nikon CoolPix 5700 camera. What an adorable little snake. We'd found this tiny snake crossing one of the levees, not too long before sunset. 

I can't help but to feel remarkably homesick at this moment. What I would do to walk around Lake Woodruff this afternoon. To stroll through that vast and rich series of levees and dikes. To feel the hot sunshine on my bald head. To taste the salt of my sweat on my lips. To hear the sudden and seemingly-enraged cry of a great blue heron as it takes flight. To listen to the palms ruffling in the warm breeze. To hear the massive swooshing of turkey vulture wings. To see those gators silently patrol the waters, like the hint of ghosts just beneath the surface. How great would it be to take Aurelia there? To point out all of the gifts that region has to offer? All that beauty?

Yes, I do love Woodruff. And I must admit, coming out of this latest crush of work and stress, I could really go for a long hot day at Lake Woodruff. These have been difficult weeks here in Alaska.

Coming back to Anchorage, on the bright side, today is looking to be quite lovely -- which is nice since it's been overcast and rainy for what seems like an eternity in Anchorage. The few sunny days we have had, I've had to spend indoors furiously working and trying to keep up with my life. Sometimes it feels like I'm trying to climb a mountain that's quickly sinking into the sea. But today? Today is shaping up and feeling differently, despite my nostalgia and homesickness.

I feel like I am always living in two worlds: in Florida and in Alaska. 

I may not be able to trek around Lake Woodruff anytime soon - and I will continue to miss it... But today, if the weather holds, I'll go for a walk with Aurelia and I'll tell her all about snakes. I'll tell her how beautiful, sweet, and lovely Florida banded watersnakes are -- about how daddy used to catch and photograph them. I'll promise her that one day we'll explore Woodruff together, when we're visiting family. And then we'll suddenly stop in our tracks and I'll explain to Aurelia that the massive, horned dog standing in front of us is actually called a "Moose" -- and that "Moose" are bigger than Florida banded watersnakes... And that daddy was lucky to have lived in the two greatest regions the North American continent has to offer. One day, I'll get to share Florida with my daughter.

Florida banded watersnake, 11 March 2007

Florida banded watersnake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris)
 Palm Island Park; Mt. Dora, Florida; 11 March 2007

I just realized how few photographs I have of the Florida banded watersnake on the blog! Once upon a time, before the site was scrubbed and begun anew, I had more photos of this species than any other on the blog -- and for good reason. The Florida banded watersnake, also simply called the Florida watersnake, is a common and deeply beautiful species of non-venomous snake. I've caught and photographed more bandeds than any other species in Florida. And I never grow tired of them.

 

As I mentioned, this is a non-venomous snake. It is completely harmless and unthreatening to humans, though it will (sometimes) bite in self-defense if caught and abused. Despite being a harmless snake, they're still subject to frequent killings by misinformed and confused people -- folks who somehow confuse this species with the much-larger, very-different Florida cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti)...

In my experience, Florida banded watersnakes are the most agreeable of Florida's three most common Nerodia species. Brown watersnakes (Nerodia taxispilota) can be more fidgety once caught and are often more difficult to track down. Florida green watersnakes (Nerodia floridana) are much larger and pack quite the punch when they bite in self-defense. But Florida bandeds? Oh man, they're easy to get along with. I've only caught a few who have been rather manic and crazed. Most of them seem to simmer down rather quickly. 

I do adore this species!

Florida banded watersnake, 01 July 2005

Florida banded watesnake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris)
 Palm Island Park; Mt. Dora, Florida; 01 July 2005

A different approach in appreciating the beauty of a snake… This is a photograph of a non-venomous Florida banded watersnake. Also known simply as a “Florida watersnake,” these are perhaps the most common of Florida’s Nerodia watersnakes. Their patternation is highly variable, as can be their temperament (though they are usually the most passive of Florida's proper watersnakes).