Conservation in Indiana

The Copperbelly Water Snake, Nerodia erythogaster neglecta

photo courtesy of USFWS

This species is in decline with 3,000 to 10,000 individuals in Midwestern United States. Adults reach a length between 76 and 122 cm. It has an orange belly and the dorsal side is dark, often with a spotty pattern. This species is found in lowland swamps, oxbow lakes in floodplains, brushy ditches, and other warm, quiet waters, attempting to find a permanent wetland as soon as seasonal wetlands dry up. They may hibernate in sites such as tree root networks in bottomlands, fieldstone piles, dense brush piles, and even beaver and muskrat lodges. Their main threat is human harm, as well as predation by raptors, large fish, and other snakes. It also struggles with habitat fragmentation and destruction. There is a necessity for a large habitat for these snakes to breed. Preventing fragmentation of the snake’s habitat is a major protective strategy.

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