Mangrove Saltmarsh Snake

Nerodia clarkii compressicauda

Venom Status:

Non Venomous

Characteristics:

Extremely variable. Solid black to gray, to solid orange-red. Others may have stripes or be partially striped posteriorly and banded or saddled anteriorly. Belly may or may not bear central dark markings. Scales keeled, anal plate divided. Ovoviviparous. Juveniles similar to adults. Small fish are the favored prey. Many mangrove saltmarsh snakes have a dark stripe that extends rearward from eye to the angle of the jaw. Others, especially the red phases, lack even a vestige of this stripe. The presence of dark upper and lower labial sutures is equally questionable.

Unique Features:

Because of the variability of this snake it is difficult to assign any feature more unique than the fact that they dwell in an unusual habitat.

Habitat and Diet:

Saltmarsh, mangrove clumps, marshedge grasses and emergent plants. Small fish are the favored prey