If disturbed, water snakes quickly dive into the water and submerge for a few minutes before resurfacing to check on the danger. From the man-made world, they use waterside structures such as docks, bridge supports, rock dams, causeways or spill ways. From the natural world, they enjoy using beaver lodges, muskrat houses and brush - both dead piles and living plants along water to bask in the sun. They seem to prefer still water, but will hunt or transport themselves in fast moving creeks. Life by the water results in their common name. During really warm spells they may come out or move to other den locations. Den sites may be mammal burrows (a groundhog’s for example), pockets deep in root systems, rock crevices, and other sheltered habitat near their summer habitat. When temperatures drop and frost arrives, water snakes search for a winter den. If they avoid predators and cars, water snakes may live over five years, but the average life span in the wild is unknown. Crossing roads during the breeding season and migrating from one water source to another in search of a mate, food or den can be dangerous. When threatened, they defend themselves vigorously by striking and biting repeatedly, along with releasing excrement and musk. Even as an adult, water snakes still have plenty of predators including great blue herons, hawks, raccoons, foxes and snapping turtles. Water snake mortality is highest among juveniles, who are preyed upon and eaten by bass in ponds and other larger sport fish in the lakes. This is the most dangerous time of the life cycle. Mothers do not take care for their young the newborn snakes must fend for themselves. The young are brighter and more vividly colored than their parents. Northern water snakes give birth to live young between August and October, with an average litter of 25 babies, each measuring six to twelve inches long. Spring romance begins when warmer temperatures become steady and mating can take place. At night, using the cover of darkness, they hunt minnows and slow-moving sick or injured fish. Their day menu includes frogs, worms, crayfish, salamanders, and bird eggs or small birds in nests. During the day, they can be seen sun-basking on brush and rocks, or hunting among the plants at water’s edge. Summer Activityįrom April-October, watch for water snakes in all Chester County parks. As the water snake ages, the bands and blotches tend to blend together, at times becoming almost completely black. The tricky part is that the color varies from reddish-brown to gray to brownish-black. The general body coloration is an alternating dark pattern of blotches on its back and sides, often called alternating saddles, and is widest at the mid-body. The head is distinct and well-defined from the neck region. This moderately large snake is usually found near water, and has a few key identification features. Also, snakes have no external ear openings or movable eye lids. Their Order, Squamata, is distinguished by an elongated body covered with scales and generally without limbs. Reptiles reproduce by hard-shelled eggs or live young. Reptiles breathe with lungs but cannot regulate their body temperature, defining them as ectotherms. Reptile characteristics include an internal skeleton supported by vertebrae (backbone), with dry, scaly skin and, if they have feet, claws. A fun predator to watch from a distance, it’s fascinating to see them forage for food, bask in the sun, swim under and across the water, or crawl around roots in its riparian habitat. The northern water snake plays an important role in keeping nature in balance. To make matters worse, water snake bites bleed profusely due to an anticoagulant quality of the snake’s saliva. If handled or cornered, it will strike repeatedly at it's enemy. They have powerful jaws that can inflict a severe bite. It is not a good idea to handle water snakes.
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