Northern watersnake

The background color of this snake is dark brown to gray. At least the first five (or more) dorsal and lateral squarish blotches fuse to form crossbands or saddles on the anterior body. The thickest part of the dorsal crossband is at the mid-dorsal line. On the posterior part of the snake, the dorsal and lateral blotches alternate. The belly is pale with dark brown to reddish half-moon shaped markings. These may be faint to barely noticeable. A fully grown female is about three times heavier than a full grown male. There is a divided anal plate and a double row of scales under the tail.