Nerodia floridana
Encyclopedia
Florida green watersnake (Nerodia floridana) is a harmless North America
n species
of water snake
.
N. floridana is the largest and most dominant watersnake in North America. Fully grown it will reach 30-55 in (76–140 cm). Its coloration is solid greenish-brownish with whitish belly in adults. Juveniles have about 50 dark bars down their dorsum and on their sides, which fade gradually with age.
and in parts of southern Georgia
with two isolated populations in western and southern South Carolina
. They prefer choked vegetation and calm waters such as swamp
s and marsh
es. They can also be found in lakes, ponds, ditches, and slow rivers and occasionally in brackish water. In South Carolina it is considered imperiled.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of water snake
Water snake
Different snakes are called water snakes. Most are colubrids. "Water snake" is also sometimes used as a descriptive term for any snakes that spend a significant time in or near fresh water, such as any species belonging to the family Acrochordidae...
.
N. floridana is the largest and most dominant watersnake in North America. Fully grown it will reach 30-55 in (76–140 cm). Its coloration is solid greenish-brownish with whitish belly in adults. Juveniles have about 50 dark bars down their dorsum and on their sides, which fade gradually with age.
Habitat
N. floridana are found throughout FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and in parts of southern Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
with two isolated populations in western and southern South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. They prefer choked vegetation and calm waters such as swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s and marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es. They can also be found in lakes, ponds, ditches, and slow rivers and occasionally in brackish water. In South Carolina it is considered imperiled.