Throughout this dry summer, the water level in the marsh area of Huntley Meadows Park has continued to drop. I was shocked to see how low the levels were today. In an area where the water had previously been deep enough to support large snapping turtles (an open area outside of a beaver lodge), I now saw snakes, at least four or five of them. They were swimming in the shallow water and even burrowing into the soft mud in search of food. I am pretty sure they were all Northern Water snakes (Nerodia sipedon), a fairly large, non-venomous snake.
Face-to-face with a Northern Water snake
As I was watching the snakes, a couple came by and they said that they sometimes like to pick up these kind of snakes, examine them, and then release them. In passing, they mentioned that the snakes will bite hard and will release musk when handled. I don’t know why they thought I wanted to play with the snakes (trust me, I had no such desire), but they warned me not to be surprised if the bite wound bled a lot. According to the Wikipedia article on Northern Water snakes, the snake’s saliva contains a mild anticoagulant.
Northern Water snake, full-body shot
I did not see the snakes catch any prey, but the Wikipedia article states that during the day they hunt among plants at the water’s edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, birds, and small mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water.
Northern Water snake focusing on a potential prey
One other interesting fact about the Northern Water snake is that—unlike many other snakes—they do not lay eggs. According to one academic article, the mother carries the eggs inside her body for three to five months and, on average, gives birth to 26 babies, each about 7-9 inches long. Once they are born, the babies are on their own; the mother does not care for them at all.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
There would seem to be little upside to handling the snakes. I’m with you on that one!
Excellent shots..:-))
Thanks. I often go back to the same places to shoot and each time (especially in this marsh) the wildlife and vegetation are different.
Oh my…looks really scary
It’s scary if you are close to the action. I’m happy to have a telephoto lens!
Very large snake — quite a good find.
There were a couple that were smaller, but the one featured in two of the photos was pretty big.
Your snake here is the only one I’ve “seen” in a long time. Great shots!
Thanks. I have gotten over my initial surprise at seeing snakes that swim (and they swim fast). I enjoyed watching them immensely…from a distance.
From a distance is good. I don’t like to be surprised.
I’ve seen a few snakes this summer but not that one. It’s a beauty!
As I mentioned to some other bloggers, beauty sometimes is best admired from a distance, but I agree that the colors and patterns were remarkable.
Love the full body shot of the snake! The out of focus of the tail just pulls you towards it’s head
Thanks. It’s always a challenge for me to choose how much to have in focus. I think the sinuous curves help to convey the sense of motion of the snake, even without being perfectly in focus.
not having everything in focus is the thrills in closeup macro photography and your picture makes it clear why