You are here » home › advanced search › search results › Nerodia fasciata

Nerodia fasciata (LINNAEUS, 1766)

IUCN Red List - Nerodia fasciata - Least Concern, LC
iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Nerodia fasciata?

Add your own observation of
Nerodia fasciata »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaColubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesNerodia fasciata confluens (BLANCHARD 1923)
Nerodia fasciata fasciata (LINNAEUS 1766)
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris (COPE 1895) 
Common NamesE: Southern Water Snake
fasciata: Banded Water Snake, Broad-banded Water Snake
confluens: Broad-banded Water Snake
pictiventris: Florida Water Snake
G: Gebänderte Wassernatter, Südliche Schwimmnatter 
SynonymColuber fasciatus LINNAEUS 1766: 378
Coluber fasciatus — SHAW & NODDER 1797: plate 266
Tropidonotus fasciatus — HOLBROOK 1842: 25
Nerodia fasciata — BAIRD & GIRARD 1853: 39
Tropidonotus fasciatus — DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 566
Tropidonotus Pogonias — DUMÉRIL & BIBRON 1854: 574 (fide WALLACH p.c.)
Tropidonotus bisectus COPE 1887: 146 (fide BOULENGER 1893)
Tropidonotus fasciatus — BOULENGER 1893: 242
Natrix fasciata — LOENNBERG 1894
Natrix fasciata confluens BLANCHARD 1923
Natrix fasciata fasciata — ALLEN 1932
Nerodia sipedon fasciata — CLAY 1938: 179
Natrix sipedon engelsi BARBOUR 1943 (fide CONANT 1961: 19)
Natrix sipedon engelsi — SCHMIDT 1953: 162
Nerodia fasciata — CONANT 1963
Nerodia fasciata fasciata — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 153
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 154
Nerodia fasciata confluens — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 154
Nerodia fasciata — CROTHER 2000: 67
Nerodia fasciata fasciata — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 141
Nerodia fasciata fasciata — CROTHER et al. 2012
Nerodia fasciata — WALLACH et al. 2014: 484
Nerodia fasciata fasciata — GUYER et al. 2018

Nerodia fasciata confluens (BLANCHARD, 1923)
Natrix fasciata confluens BLANCHARD 1923
Natrix sipedon confluens — STEJNEGER & BARBOUR 1933: 117
Natrix fasciata confluens — BURT 1935
Natrix sipedon confluens — CLAY 1938: 179
Nerodia fasciata confluens — MEHRTENS 1987: 158
Nerodia fasciata confluens — CROTHER 2000: 67
Nerodia fasciata confluens — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 143
Nerodia fascita [sic] confluens — MATTISON 2007: 246
Nerodia fasciata confluens — CROTHER et al. 2012
Nerodia fasciata confluens — GUYER et al. 2018

Nerodia fasciata pictiventris (COPE 1895)
Natrix fasciata pictiventris COPE 1895: 677
Natrix sipedon pictiventris — STEJNEGER & BARBOUR 1933: 96
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — MEHRTENS 1987: 157
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — CROTHER 2000: 67
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 145
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — SCHMIDT & KUNZ 2005: 27
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — WERNING 2007
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — CROTHER et al. 2012
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — LILLYWHITE 2014: 30
Nerodia fasciata pictiventris — GUYER et al. 2018 
DistributionUSA (E Texas, Louisiana, SE Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, W Mississippi, S Alabama, Florida, S/E Georgia, S/E South Carolina, S/E North Carolina, SE Missouri, Illinois, Arizona)

Type locality: Carolina.

confluens: USA (Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, E Texas, Oklahoma); Type locality: Butler County, Missouri.

pictiventris: USA (Florida, extreme SE Georgia); Type locality: Gainesville, Florida.  
Reproductionovovivparous. Hybridization: Nerodia sipedon and N. fasciata hybridize “massively” in their contact zones, e.g. in the Carolinas and Georgia (Mebert 2008). 
TypesType: unlocated (A. Garden, 1760- 1761) (fide V. Wallach, pers. comm.)
Holotype: UMMZ 57707 [confluens]
Holotype: MCZ 46688 [engelsi]
Syntypes: USNM 5473 etc [pictiventris]
Holotype
Holotype: USNM 14643 [Tropidonotus bisectus] 
DiagnosisDIAGNOSIS: This snake may be distinguished from the peninsular N. s. pictiventris, which it resembles rather closely, by the shape of the ventral markings-squarish spots in fasciata, elongate dark areas near the anterior margins of the ventrals in pictiventris-and by the presence generally of more than 128 ventrals in fasciata and fewer than this numberin pictiventris. The dorsal pattern of transversebands throughout the length of the body will usually distinguish fasciata from pleuralis, in which most often the posterior portion of the dorsal pattern is composed of alternating dorsal and lateral spots. Furthermore,the belly of pleuralis is marked with half-circular spots. N. s. confluens and fasciata may be separated on the basis of the number of dorsal saddles, the former having 11 to 17, the latter about 19 to 30 [CLAY 1938: 178]. 
CommentIllustration in Reptilia (Münster) 8 (2): 21. Illustration of N. f. pictiventris in SCHMIDT (2004).

Synonymy: BLANEY & BLANEY 1979 suggested that N. fasciata is synonymous with N. sipedon.

Habitat: at least partially coastal and thus considered (partially) “marine”.

Distribution: introduced to S California (Reed et al. 2016).

NCBI taxon ID: 876473 [confluens]
NCBI taxon ID: 310399 [pictiventris] 
EtymologyNamed after Latin fascia = band, for the dorsal cross-bands in this species. 
References
  • Allen, Morrow J. 1932. A survey of the Amphibians and reptiles of Harrison County, Mississippi. American Museum Novitates (542): 1-20 - get paper here
  • Baird, S. F. and C. Girard. 1853. Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part 1.-Serpents. Smithsonian Inst., Washington, xvi + 172 pp. - get paper here
  • Barbour, T. 1943. A new water snake from North Carolina. Proc. New England Zool. Club 22: 1-2
  • Blanchard, Frank N. 1923. A new North American snake of the genus Natrix. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan (140): 1-6 - get paper here
  • Blaney, R. M. ;Blaney, P. K. 1979. The Nerodia sipedon Complex of Water Snakes in Mississippi and Southeastern Louisiana. Herpetologica 35 (4): 350-359 - get paper here
  • Bol, S.C. 1991. Breeding results: Nerodia fasciata confluens x Nerodia fasciata fasciata. Litteratura Serpentium 11 (6): 145 - get paper here
  • Boulenger, G.A. 1893. Catalogue of the snakes in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) I. London (Taylor & Francis), 448 pp. - get paper here
  • Burbrink FT, Futterman I. 2019. Female‐ biased gape and body-size dimorphism in the New World watersnakes (tribe: Thamnophiini) oppose predictions from Rensch's rule. Ecol Evol. 00:1–10
  • Burt, Charles E. 1935. Further records of the ecology and distribution of amphibians and reptiles in the middle west. American Midland Naturalist 16 (3): 311-336 - get paper here
  • Camper, Jeffrey D. 2019. The Reptiles of South Carolina. University of South Carolina Press, 288 pp. [review in Copeia 107 (3): 590, 2019] - get paper here
  • Camper, Jeffrey D. and Lacy D. Chick 2010. Seasonal Variation in the Spatial Ecology of the Banded Watersnake (Nerodia fasciata fasciata). Herpetologica 66 (4): 464-475 - get paper here
  • Clay, William M. 1938. A synopsis of the North American Water Snakes of the genus Natrix. Copeia 1938 (4): 173-182 - get paper here
  • Conant, Roger 1961. A new water snake from Mexico, with notes on anal plates and apical pits in Natrix and Thamnophis. American Museum Novitates (2060): 1-22 - get paper here
  • Conant, Roger 1963. Evidence for the Specific status of the water snake Natrix fasciata. American Museum Novitates (2122): 1-38 - get paper here
  • Conant,R. & Collins,J.T. 1991. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin (Boston/New York), xx + 450 p.
  • Cope, E.D. 1887. On a new species of Tropidonotus found in Washington. Proc. US Natl. Mus. 10: 146 - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1895. On some North American Snakes. American Naturalist 29: 676-680 - get paper here
  • Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92
  • Davis, D. R., Kim, D. S. & Neelon, D. P. 2012. Geographic distribution: Nerodia fasciata (southern watersnake). Herpetological Review 43: 449 - get paper here
  • DiMeo, Mark Alexander 2019. Testing the Waters: Diversification and Selection in the Nerodia fasciata/clarkii Species Complex. MSc Thesis, Clemson University, 3202 - get paper here
  • Dixon, James R. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of Texas, second edition. Texas A&M University Press, 421 pp.
  • Donini, J; 2018. Nerodia fasciata (Southern Watersnake) Diet. Herpetological Review 49 (4): 757 - get paper here
  • Donini, J; 2019. Nerodia fasciata (Southern Watersnake) Defensive behavior. Herpetological Review 50 (3): 597-598 - get paper here
  • DONINI, JORDAN & J. SEAN DOODY. 2021. Successful Predation of Invasive Toxic Cane Toads (Rhinella marina) by the Southern Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata). Journal of North American Herpetology 2021(1): 12-18. - get paper here
  • Donini, Jordan; J. Sean Doody 2021. Successful Predation of Invasive South American Cane Toads (Rhinella marina) by Southern Watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata). Journal of North American Herpetology - get paper here
  • Duméril, A.M.C., G. BIBRON & A.H.A. DUMÉRIL 1854. Erpétologie générale ou Histoire Naturelle complète des Reptiles. Vol. 7 (partie 1). Paris, xvi + 780 S. - get paper here
  • Dunson, William A. 1979. Occurrence of partially striped forms of the mangrove snake Nerodia fasciata compressicauda Kenicott and comments on the status of N. f. taeniata Cope. Florida Scientist 42: 102-112 - get paper here
  • DURSO, ANDREW M.; EMRY ELRUBAIE, KARA OPHEIM & CASSIE VALENTI. 2022. NERODIA FASCIATA (Banded Watersnake). DIET and PARASITES. Herpetological Review 53 (2): 344–345.
  • Enge, Kevin M. 2009. Venomous and non-venomous snakes of Florida. Publication of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. 16 pp.
  • Ernst, C.H., & Barbour, R.W. 1989. Snakes of eastern North America. George Mason Univ. Press, Fairfax, VA 282 pp.
  • FUCHS, A. L., I. C. EASTERLING, A. R. FUCHS, AND K. C. HENGSTEBECK 2020. Nerodia fasciata (Southern Watersnake). Diet. Herpetological Review 51: 149-150.
  • Ganser, L.R., W.A. Hopkins, L. O'Neil, S. Hasse, J.H. Roe & D.M. Sever 2003. Liver Histopathology of the Southern Watersnake, Nerodia fasciata fasciata, following Chronic Exposure to Trace Eelment-Contaminated Prey from a Coal Ash Disposal Site Journal of Herpetology 37 (1): 219-226. - get paper here
  • Gibbons, J. W. & Mike Dorcas 2004. North American Water Snakes. University of Oklahoma Press, 496 pp.
  • Guyer, Craig; Mark A. Bailey, and Robert H. Mount 2018. Lizards and snakes of Alabama. University of Alabama Press, 397 pp. - get paper here
  • Hampton, P. M. 2013. Feeding in natricines: relationships among feeding morphology, behavior, performance and preferred prey type. Journal of Zoology, 290: 215–224. doi: 10.1111/jzo.12029 - get paper here
  • Hawthorne, William H. & Jeffrey M. Goessling 2020. A Test of Tradeoffs between Performance and Immunity in Water Snakes (Nerodia clarkii X Nerodia fasciata). Copeia 108 (3): 453-458 - get paper here
  • Holbrook, John E. 1842. North American Herpetology; or, A description of the reptiles inhabiting the United States. Vol I (2nd ed.). J. Dobson, Philadelphia, 152 pp. - get paper here
  • HORVATH, SHANNON & ANDREW M. DURSO. 2022. NERODIA FASCIATA PICTIVENTRIS (Florida Watersnake). PREDATION. Herpetological Review 53 (3): 516.
  • HUGHES, NICHOLAS S.; MANDI GORDON, JASON NAGRO & EMILY YARGEAU. 2022. Geographic distribution: NERODIA FASCIATA CONFLUENS (Broad-banded Watersnake). USA: TEXAS: Hopkins Co. Herpetological Review 53 (3): 446.
  • Irwin, Kelly J. 2004. Arkansas Snake Guide. Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, Little Rock, 50 pp.
  • Jayne, B.C. 1985. Swimming constricting (Elaphe g. guttata) and nonconstricting (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris) colubrid snakes Copeia 1985 (1): 195-208. - get paper here
  • Jensen, John B.; Carlos D. Camp, Whit Gibbons, & Matt J. Elliott 2008. Amphibians and reptiles of Georgia. University of Georgia Press, 575 pp.
  • Jones D, Foshee B, Fitzgerald L 2021. A herpetological survey of Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. Check List 17(1): 27-38 - get paper here
  • Krysko, K. L., Granatosky, M. C., Anderson, J. C. & Crittenden, A. I. 2012. Nerodia fasciata (southern watersnake) foraging behavior. Herpetological Review 43: 348 - get paper here
  • Krysko, K. L., Granatosky, M. C., Anderson, J. C., Wetzel, E. J. & Klemm, D. J. 2012. Nerodia fasciata (southern watersnake) ectoparasites. Herpetological Review 43: 347-348 - get paper here
  • Krysko, K.K.; Enge, K.M.; Donlan, E.M.; Golden, E.Z.; Burgess, J.P. & Larson, K.W. 2009. THE NON-MARINE HERPETOFAUNA OF KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA. Herp. Cons. Biol. 5 (1):132-142 - get paper here
  • Lamb, J Y & Ljustina, O 2018. Nerodia fasciata confluens (Broad-banded Watersnake) Diet. Herpetological Review 49 (4): 757-758 - get paper here
  • Lawson, R. 1987. Molecular studies of Thamnophiine snakes: 1. The phylogeny of the genus Nerodia. Journal of Herpetology 21 (2): 140-157 - get paper here
  • Lawson, Robin;Meier, Albert J.;Frank, Phillip G.;Moler, Paul E. 1991. Allozyme variation and systematics of the Nerodia fasciata-Nerodia clarkii complex of water snakes (Serpentes: Colubridae). Copeia 1991 (3): 638-659 - get paper here
  • Lillywhite, Harvey B. 2014. How Snakes Work: Structure, Function and Behavior of the World's Snakes. Oxford University Press, New York, 256 pp
  • Linné, C. von [= Linnaeus, C.] 1766. Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio duodecima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii, Stockholm, Holmiae. 1-532 pp. - get paper here
  • Lönnberg, Einar 1894. Notes on reptiles and batrachians collected in Florida in 1892 and 1893. Proc. US Natl. Mus. 17 (1003): 317-339 - get paper here
  • Lorenz, O. Tom; Brian D. Horne, Noah J. Anderson, and Ann O. Cheek 2011. Reproductive Physiology of the Broad Banded Watersnake, Nerodia fasciata confluens, in Southeastern Louisiana. Herp. Cons. Biol. 6 (3) - get paper here
  • Love, B. 2010. Florgia Herping. Reptilia (Münster) 15 (83): 18-19 - get paper here
  • Lutterschmidt, William I.; J.M. Weidler, and Christopher M. Schalk 2019. Hot Moments and Hot Spots in the Bayou: Spatiotemporal Patterns of Road Occurrence in a Snake Assemblage in Louisiana, USA. Herp. Conserv. Biology 14 (2): - get paper here
  • Marcou, Zachary John 2018. Delineating Metrics of Diversity for a Snake Community in a Rare Ecosystem. MSc Thesis, Stephen F. Austin State University - get paper here
  • Mattison, Chris 2007. The New Encyclopedia of Snakes. Princeton University Press
  • Mebert K. 2010. Massive Hybridization and Species Concepts, Insights from Watersnakes. VDM Verlag, Germany, 187 pp.
  • Mebert, K. 2008. Good species despite massive hybridization: genetic research on the contact zone between the watersnakes Nerodia sipedon and N. fasciata in the Carolinas, USA. Molecular Ecology 17: 1918–1929 - get paper here
  • Mehrtens, J.M. 1987. Living snakes of the world in color. Sterling Publ. Co., hic., New York, NY: 480 pp.
  • Miller, D.E. & H.R. Mushinsky 1990. Foraging ecology and prey size in the mangrove water snake, Nerodia fasciata compressicauda Copeia 1990 (4): 1099-1106. - get paper here
  • Norris, J E & Ellsworth, E D; 2019. Geographic Distribution: Nerodia fasciata (Southern Watersnake) USA: Oklahoma: Marshall Co. Herpetological Review 50 (3): 530 - get paper here
  • Palmer, W.M. & Braswell, A.L. 1995. Reptiles of North Carolina. Univ. North Carolina Press
  • Preuss, Gabriel; Eduardo Bongiolo, Daniela A.S. Bôlla, Karoline Ceron, Fernando Carvalho 2018. Predation on the Southern Water Snake, Nerodia fasciata (Serpentes: Natricidae) by American Bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus (Aves: Ardeidae). Herpetology Notes 11: 943-944 - get paper here
  • Rautsaw, Rhett M.; Tristan D. Schramer, Rachel Acuña, Lindsay N. Arick, Mark DiMeo, Kathryn P. Mercier, Michael Schrum, Andrew J. Mason, Mark J. Margres,, Jason L. Strickland, and<br />Christopher L. Parkinson 2020. Genomic Adaptations to Salinity Resist Gene Flow in the Evolution of Floridian Watersnakes. Molecular Biology and Evolution Article - get paper here
  • Reed, Robert N.; Brian D. Todd, Oliver J. Miano, Mark Canfield, Robert N. Fisher, and Louanne McMartin 2016. Ecology and Control of an Introduced Population of Southern Watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata) in Southern California. Herpetologica 72 (2): 130-136. - get paper here
  • Rose, Jonathan P.; Brian D. Todd 2014. Projecting Invasion Risk of Non-Native Watersnakes (Nerodia fasciata and Nerodia sipedon) in the Western United States. PLoS One - get paper here
  • Schmidt, D. 2004. Die Gebänderte Wassernatter (Nerodia fasciata). Natur und Tier Verlag (Münster), 64 pp. - get paper here
  • Schmidt, D. 2004. Zur Reproduktion von Schlangen im Terrarium: Aufgaben - Fakten - Probleme. Draco 5 (17): 22-36 - get paper here
  • Schmidt, D. 2015. Nattern. Arten und Tipps für Einsteiger. Reptilia (Münster) 20 (115): 28-41 - get paper here
  • Schmidt, D. & Kunz, K. 2005. Ernährung von Schlangen. Natur und Tier Verlag, Münster, 159 pp. - get paper here
  • Schmidt, Karl P. 1953. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. 6th ed. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Chicago, 280 pp. - get paper here
  • Schmidt, T. 1997. Gemeinschaftshaltung von Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis und neodia fasciata fasciata. Elaphe 5 (1): 11-15
  • Schwaner, Terry D. & Mount, Robert H. 1976. Systematic and ecological relationships of the water snakes Natrix sipedon and N. fasciata in Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas (45): 1-44 - get paper here
  • Sharp, J C 2018. Geographic Distribution: Nerodia fasciata (Southern Watersnake). Herpetological Review 49 (3): 506-507 - get paper here
  • Shaw, George & Nodder, Frederick P. (Eds.) 1797. The Naturalist's Miscellany [...], Vol. VIII. London, Nodder & Co., plates 255-300, 180 unnumbered pages, [published in monthly issues between August 1, 1796, and July 1, 1797] - get paper here
  • Showalter, Irina; Brian D. Todd and Patricia L. R. Brennan 2014. Intraspecific and interspecific variation of female genitalia in two species of watersnake. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 111 (1): 183–191, DOI: 10.1111/bij.12184 - get paper here
  • Siegel, Dustin S.; Stanley E. Trauth, Justin L. Rheubert, Brian Rabe, Brenton Ruopp, Aurélien Miralles, Christopher M. Murray, and Robert D. Aldridge 2014. Novel Cloacal Glands in Snakes: The Phylogenetic Distribution of Ventral Urodaeal Glands in Thamnophiini. Herpetologica 70 (3): 279-289. - get paper here
  • Sleijpen, Fons 1991. Breeding Nerodia fasciata. Litteratura Serpentium 11 (2): 39-43 - get paper here
  • Stitt, E.W., and P.S. Balfour. 2003. Trans-continental introduction of the Southern Watersnake (Nerodia fasciata). Sonoran Herpetologist 16 (6):40-41. - get paper here
  • Tennant, A. 2003. Snakes of North America - Eastern and Central Regions, revised edition. Lone Star Books, 605 pp.
  • Tennant, A. & Bartlett, R.D. 2000. Snakes of North America - Eastern and Central Regions. Gulf Publishing, Houston, TX, 588 pp.
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • Werler, John E. & James R. Dixon 2000. Texas Snakes. University of Texas Press, 544 pages
  • Werning, H. 2007. Zu Besuch bei Bil Love. Reptilia (Münster) 12 (67): 45-50 - get paper here
  • Werning, H. 2009. Florida - ein kleiner herpetologischer Reiseführer. Draco 10 (37): 4-23 - get paper here
  • Werning, H. 2016. Der große Treck. Teil 2: Quellflüsse und ewige Sümpfe. Reptilia 21 (119): 68-79
  • Willson, J. D. and C. T. Winne 2015. Evaluating the functional importance of secretive species: A case study of aquatic snake predators in isolated wetlands. Journal of Zoology, DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12311 - get paper here
  • Winne, C.T., T.J. Ryan, Y. Leiden & M.E. Dorcas 2001. Evaporative Water Loss in Two Natricine Snakes, Nerodia fasciata and Seminatrix pygaea Journal of Herpetology 35 (1): 129-133. - get paper here
  • Zug, David A.;Dunson, Wiliam A. 1979. Salinity preference in freshwater and estuarine snakes (Nerodia sipedon and N. fasciata). Florida Scientist 42 (1): 1-8 - get paper here
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:

As link to this species use URL address:

https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Nerodia&species=fasciata

without field 'search_param'. Field 'search_param' is used for browsing search result.



Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator