Mississippi Green Water Snake

Natural History

Snake! I've been waiting to do something on a snake! We just saw one two days ago (April 22, 2013) at a park. It was beautiful! Unfortunately, my fiancee (yes, it changed) did not have her camera with her. It was clear as day, though. It was a Nerodia cyclopion, or a Mississippi Green Watersnake. Here is an example picture.

Photograph courtesy of Brad Moon, favored photographer of Mississippi-type snakes by the state of Alabama.

Honestly, I thought it was a Cottonmouth up until now. It occurred to me that the dorsal portion of the snake that showed itself to us was too dark to be a Cottonmouth. So, most of the information I am about to spout off throughout this entry is almost as new to me as to you.

Native to all along the Mississippi River and Southeastern United States, Nerodia cyclopion are quite common around here. Other than rivers, these snakes are found around ponds (which is where we saw one) and other small bodies of water. We thought about showing somebody at the park. I personally really wanted to see what those city-slickers' reactions would be. I saw most of them scream in fear of Carpenter Bees shortly before I sighted the snake. ... "The snake" seems a little impersonal. I shall name it, then. ... ... Jenny. Jenny sounds good. If Carpenter Bees were such a great source of entertainment for me, Jenny would have evoked a reaction that I would share with my grandchildren many, many years from now. I could see it in their mind's eye right now. It may look a little something like this:

Dramatic photograph courtesy of Tom Spinker of FlickRiver (Like Robin of Locksley). Your name and  noted website sound amazing together. Kudos. 

Yes. The dramatic closeup and everything. And as they ran screaming, I would holler, "I bet Jenny has eaten crayfish, frogs, fish, and toads braver than y'all!" Yes. That sounds pretty well planned. And do you like how I fed you information on this water snake's diet? I got that and previously stated infromation from http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable-wildlife/what/Reptiles/Snakes/mgws.cfm. Mississippi Green Water Snakes are rather boring. Very much so. I shall do more interesting herps in the future, assuming I continue posting.

Adults usually range from 30-45 inches (76-114 centimeters), the current record being 50 inches (127 centimeters). Babies range from shorter than 30 inches to very short indeed. "Indeed" being, in this case, a unit of measurement. It is equivalent to adding an extra "very," just classier. Their young are born live, as is the case for most water snakes, numbering 15-25 itty bits born during the summer. I bet they're cute. Let us take a look.

Photograph courtesy of Dylan the Herper. May you live well with your title.

Alright... No offense Dylan the Herper, but is this the best Google can offer? I'm disappointed in you, Google. He is cute, though.

These snakes are incredibly nonvenomous, so watch out. True, they won't kill you, but they will not hesitate to bite you with a mouth full of teeth if they don't think they can escape quickly enough.

Hmmm... this species isn't even invasive enough to terrorize some poor continent. Well, dang. That wraps this one up. Sadly, this may very well be my last blog. Unless, of course, somebody is actually enjoying it. If so, tell me. Comment on something. If one person has read through this whole entry and comments in favor of my blog, I shall continue it. It's pretty cool how people from Romania, Germany, and Russia have read the blog of a native, small town Tennessean.