salt marsh snake
Quick Summary
The salt marsh snake (Nerodia clarkii) is a semiaquatic reptile found in the brackish water habitats of the southeastern United States. Adults typically range from 0.3 to 0.7 meters (1 to 2 feet) in length. There are three subspecies, distinguished by their stripe patterns: the Gulf Coast salt marsh snake (N. clarkii clarkii), the mangrove salt marsh snake (N. clarkii compressicauda), and the Atlantic salt marsh snake (N. clarkii taeniata). These snakes ambush fish and crustaceans among marsh grasses. Females give birth to 2 to 14 young. They are often mistaken for the venomous cottonmouth water moccasin but are nonvenomous, though they can bite when handled.1
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