Natural History of Nerodia Erythrogaster

 The plain-bellied water snake is a heavy-bodied, harmless live-bearing snake mostly inhabiting swamps and freshwater wetlands. Uniform in color and in the local area presents a red belly. Adults do not present any distinct patterns however the young can have very distinct patterns. These snakes are excellent swimmers and mostly feed on fish and amphibians. However, they will venture on land to hibernate or bask in the sunlight. Young are birthed between august and October 

This particular snake was spotted while I was working on a project last semester in  co-op pond, Francis Marion national forest. It was late October and it was a warm day for the season. The snake was found in the tall grass that surrounded the edge of the pond coiled against a tree. The snake did not immediately react to my presence, once I repositioned for a better picture the snake took a defensive posture by Flattening the head and body. These snakes are quick to defend themselves as opposed to fleeing. I suspect this snake to be an adult female due to the size however there are no other differences in appearance between males and females. Before taking herpetology I treated most snakes as potentially venomous as I didn't trust my identification. I saw a dark-colored body and wide triangled head and assumed it was a cottonmouth at first glance, after observing from farther away I could properly identify the snake. To get a better picture I tried to remove the stick that is seen in the picture posted and the snake struck my hiking pole, I backed away and the snake went the opposite direction. It was an unexpected experience during that time of the year and I was grateful to capture some photos.