Care Sheet - Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata)

Banded Water Snake - Picture by David Scott of the The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory
Common Names: Banded Florida Water Snake, Banded Water Snake, Southern Water
Snake.
Subspecies: There are three recognized subspecies of N. fasciata:

Nerodia fasciata confluens (Blanchard, 1923)

Nerodia fasciata fasciata (Linnaeus, 1766)

Nerodia fasciata pictiventris (Cope, 1895)

Taxonomy: Some sources consider Nerodia clarkii compressicauda and Nerodia clarkii
taeniata to be subspecies of Nerodia fasciata.
Habitat: North und South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas,
Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri,
Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana.
Always found close to Water Rivers, ponds lakes. They are also found basking in the
vegetation around water or low branches overhanging water. If disturbed they go straight
for the water or if on an overhanging branch simply drop off straight into the water.
General Description: is typically gray, green-gray or brown in colour with dark crossbanding. Many specimens are so dark in colour their patterning is barely discernible. They
have a flat head, and are fairly heavy bodied. Their appearance leads them to be
frequently mistaken for other snakes with which they share a habitat, including the less
common cottonmouth.

Size: Can reach up to 160cm (64). Hibernation is recommended for this species
especially if you are going to breed these.
Life Expectancy: They can live for 15-18 years
Reproduction: The mating season starts in the south in January to February. The species
is ovoviviparous. This is a mode of reproduction in animals in which the embryos develop
inside eggs that are retained within the mother's body until they are ready to hatch. After 34 months the babies are born. One brood can consist of up to 60 babies.
Temperature: 20-28C, at night 18-22C, a basking spot should be included in the
vivarium.
Humidity: 60-70%
Lighting: These are a basking snake and so do better if given a UV tube similar to the
Exo Terra Repti Glo 2 Strip Light.
Substrate: Aquarium gravel is best used for the dry land area of the vivarium and a cat
litter tray can be used for the aquatic section.
Cage Furniture: An Aqua-terrarium with a large water section is Important with a few
branches hanging over the water. The snakes like to use them for sunbathing. The pool
should be easy to clean, because the snakes will use it as a toilet.
Terrarium Size: Depending on the size of the snake. The smallest size should be 48 x
20 x 20.
Food:
Their principal food is fish in nature but they will also eat frogs, newts and salamanders.
Sometimes even mice and birds. Only fresh-water fish should be fed to them such as
strips of trout. If the fish has been frozen Vitamin should be added such as Exo Terra multi
vitamin powder to replace the vitamins that will have been lost in the freezing process.
Comments: These snakes are aquatic, nonvenomous, and colubrids
They often react aggressively when they are disturbed.
John Gamesby