Here’s a snake I’ll likely encounter quite a bit in Georgia: the redbelly watersnake, Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster. Also spelled out as the “red-bellied watersnake,” this is yet another of Florida’s many Nerodia species. A non-venomous snake, in Florida they’re only found in the panhandle, parts of north Florida, and the big bend area on the Gulf-side. They *should* be quite common near where we’ll live in Valdosta starting this summer.
This individual was photographed at Manatee Springs State Park west of Gainesville and north of Cedar Key in early 2008. This is also the best shot I could muster, sadly, as the snakes (there were several of them) perched well over the shoreline and I wasn’t quite equipped (or willing) to jump in and approach them from the water. Add to that the obligatory “my-300mm-lens-sucked-at-the-time” excuse, and well… it is what it is.
This subspecies is closely related to the blotched watersnakes I’ve photographed in Oklahoma, Nerodia erythrogaster transversa, though their patternation is quite different. I look forward to studying this subspecies closer in the future. Something tells me I’m going to see quite a few of them once we finally make our way to south Georgia!
Phew. And that’s a roundtrip survey of Florida’s Nerodia watersnakes. Glad it’s over? Well, not so fast, nacho taco… I’ve still got two more Nerodias to represent! Indeed, there is no shortage of Nerodia species/subspecies in the great state of Florida.
~ janson
Filed under: Florida, Levy county, Squamata (Snakes) Tagged: Nerodia erythrogaster
