

'j « ■- 



Common Water Snake 



(Natrix sipcdon sipedon) 



Appearance. Among our local snakes this species is the most 

 heavy-bodied. It is rather long but is matched here by the decidedly 

 non-aquatic Fox, Blue Racer, and Pilot Black Snake. An old speci- 

 men, especially just before shedding its skin, exhibits little color 

 pattern but appears bluish black or dark reddish brown. Younger 

 snakes have a light brown ground color with cross bands or squar- 

 ish, red brown spots across the back and sides. In a medium-sized 

 specimen and in the posterior third of an older snake, the dark 

 spots are in definite rows, one row of large spots down the middle 

 of the back and one row of much smaller spots down each side. 

 These spots on the sides are opposite the narrow, light spacing of 

 the spots on the back, but overlap the dorsal spots. These dark spots 

 are usually edged with darker brown. The underside is white or 

 yellow with numerous red or brown half moons across it. The 

 underside of the tail is quite dark. ^-^.^ 



1. 1 -: R A R Y 



