Nerodia taxispilota, the Brown watersnake;
Levy county, Florida (30 October 2016).
Located within the Gulf coastal region of Florida (west of Gainesville and Ocala), Levy county is fairly small, quaint, and quiet. It’s not a part of Florida you’ll often find featured on advertisements, bumper stickers, and postcards, but it is a part of Florida well worth discovering and exploring if you want to see some awesome Floridian wildlife. Further, they’ve got some seriously kick ass watersnakes. In a state packed to its gills with non-venomous watersnakes, I can honestly say there’s nothing better than the Brown watersnakes (Nerodia taxispilota) of Levy county, Florida.
With incredible texture, deep dark tones, and ventral patterns to beat the band, I can’t get enough of these Levy county Brown watersnakes. Beefy but mild-mannered, robust but agile and fast, this species is, unfortunately, often confused with the venomous cottonmouth. In reality, however, they’re adept swimmers who are also really good at climbing. It’s not uncommon to find brown watersnakes passing the daylight hours from a perch draped over the water’s edge. One sign of trouble, and they simply slip into the water. Hardly something to be terrified of, right?