Loading photo...
reptile · snake
Brown Watersnake
Nerodia taxispilota — Colubridae
30–60 inches
IUCN
Least Concern
Federal (US)
None
Virginia
None
VWAP Tier
Not Listed
Habitat
Found in Virginia
How to identify
- Large, very heavy body, 30–60 inches
- Brown with large square dark blotches on back and sides
- Very wide, flat head giving a triangular appearance when viewed from above
- Round pupils
- Found overhanging water in trees and shrubs
About this species
A large, heavy-bodied water snake found in the rivers and swamps of southeastern Virginia, the brown watersnake is another species frequently misidentified as a cottonmouth. They spend considerable time basking in trees and shrubs overhanging water. They are the largest of Virginia's water snakes and primarily eat catfish.
Often confused with
Northern Cottonmouth
Cottonmouths have elliptical pupils and open their mouths to show white interior when threatened; brown watersnakes have round pupils and square blotches
Northern Watersnake
Northern watersnakes have bands wider on the sides than the back and are smaller; brown watersnakes have distinct square dorsal blotches
Did you know
"Brown watersnakes are such specialized fish eaters that they have evolved extra teeth to help grip slippery catfish, which have spiny fins that can injure a snake attempting to swallow them."
Sightings & citizen science
Help document Virginia wildlife by logging your sightings on iNaturalist. Every observation builds the conservation data that researchers and rehabbers depend on.
View Brown Watersnake observations on iNaturalist ↗Found one injured?
If you've found an injured or displaced Brown Watersnake in Virginia, our triage guide walks you through what to do.