Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster) - Ohio Herp Atlas

Plain-bellied Watersnake Nerodia erythrogaster - Endangered

This stout-bodied watersnake is currently known to occur only in Williams County, although small, widely scattered remnant populations may occur elsewhere. The adult is a uniform black or brownish-black above, with a beautiful orange-red or scarlet belly. This snake is designated as federally threatened and state endangered. Copper-bellied watersnakes spend a great deal of time on land, moving among temporary and permanent wetlands, including swampy woodlands and river bottoms. Agricultural development of its limited habitat has all but eliminated this snake from the state. Like their cousin the common watersnake, copper-bellied watersnakes are active and aggressive snakes. The copper-bellied watersnake was first described from a former swamp forest east of Mt. Victory in Hardin County by Ohio herpetologist Roger Conant. LENGTH: 36”–48”

Text courtesy of the Ohio Division of Wildlife: https://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov/portals/wildlife/pdfs/publications/id%20guides/pub354_Reptiles-opt.pdf

Distribution Map
Distribution of the Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster)
Photographs
Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster)