| Description:
The Copperbelly Water Snake ranges in size from 2.5-4 feet.
Coloration is black to dark gray above and red to orange on the
belly. Dorsal color often encroaches on the belly. Scales
are keeled and anal plate is usually divided.
Habitat: Found in wet,
swampy ground and low areas bordering rivers.
Behavior: The northern
population (southern Michigan, northern Indiana, northwestern Ohio) of
the Copperbelly Water Snake is listed as Threatened by the US Fish and
Wildlife Service. The southern population (western Kentucky,
southern Indiana, southern Illinois) is under an unofficial Habitat
Conservation Plan in which federal and state agencies work together with
private landowners to conserve the habitat which this snake
requires. Most of the southern population resides in Kentucky.
It is illegal to possess or harm the Copperbelly Water Snake in
Kentucky. |
