Northern Watersnake

This is a nonvenomous snake that is unfortunately commonly mistaken for a venomous snake. It is extremely common over most of its range and is frequently seen basking on stream banks, from which it dives into the water at the slightest disturbance. Odds are, if you see a snake on a stream bank it is one of these. It is quick to flee from danger, but if cornered or captured, it will defend itself and is capable of a painful if not dangerous bite. They can be brown, gray, reddish, or brownish-black and have dark cross bands on their necks and dark stripes and blotches on the rest of their bodies. This superficial similarity often leads to misidentification as cottonmouths or copperheads. They darken as they age. Some will become almost completely black. The belly of this snake also varies in color. It can be white, yellow, or gray. Usually it also has reddish or black crescents.