Sex : Male

Length : 24 in. (Avg. 18 – 30 inches)

Weight : 1 oz. (Avg. 3/4 – 1 1/4 oz.)

Lifespan : Captive Born 2000, Age 4 years (Longevity 10+ years)

Breeding: Livebearer, up to 20 young

Habitat : Typically a resident of vegetation adjacent to ponds, lakes, marshes and streams. More aquatic than the related garter snakes.

Food and Hunting : Active, diurnal hunters, they prey on frogs, toads, salamanders and small fish. Extremely long and slender, they are very fast predators. In the northern portions of their range they are dependent on the reproductive cycles of amphibians and hibernate during the colder months, generally mid-October to mid-April.

Conservation : They are locally common throughout their range. They have adapted well to human encroachment and are one the most familiar snakes to people. A number of subspecies exist within the range and are often difficult to identify correctly.

Captive Care : Their more specialized diet make them slightly more difficult to care for than garter snakes, however they are enthusiastic fish eaters. Bait minnows and smaller goldfish are actively taken live or frozen thawed. They have an active personality and seem to eagerly await their meals.