Brown Water Snake

10.01.2006 - I caught this Brown Water Snake, Nerodia taxispilota, on the shores of Lake Maitland, FL. Many people confuse this snake with the venomous Cottonmouth, or Water Moccasin. The Brown Water Snake is, of course, an aquatic snake, just like the Cottonmouth. Most aquatic snakes have bulky bodies. And of course pretty much all snakes have triangular heads larger in size than their necks. Thus, this snake does mimic the body shape of the cottonmouth, in addition to sharing its habitat. However, the snake is not venomous. It does give birth to live young, just like the Cottonmouth. It can give birth to up to 50 young. The largest an adult can grow to is about 4.5 feet. The one in this photo is more like 2.5 feet. I've only caught a few. They are not uncommon, but they spend most of their times in lakes and ponds, and not in homes or swimming pools, and thus I don't get many calls for this snake. It is identifyable to the layman by its brown color and markings. The adult Cottonmouth is not brown, but black. Juvenile Water Moccasins do have brown bands. If you're unsure about the identy of any specie of snake, especially one in the water, just leave it alone! In fact, it's best to leave snakes alone in general. I released this one unharmed back into the lake.