Florida Green Watersnake

Range

Ranges throughout Florida and extreme south Georgia, with a separate isolated population in southern South Carolina and a small patch of eastern Georgia.

Habitats

This species is semi-aquatic and prefers calm bodies of water, such as wet prairies, marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, canals, and estuaries. It is often found in dense vegetation, and sometimes in brackish water.

Identification

The largest watersnake in North America, this species reaches 30-55 inches in length. It has large eyes with round pupils and a narrow head with a short tapered snout. It is dark greenish brown with a pale cream unmarked ventrum. Juveniles have a dark checkered pattern which fades with age. Its scales are mildly keeled. A distinguishing feature of this watersnake is the presence of a scale between the eye and the row of upper lip scales.

Learn more with Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians