Facts About Water Snakes 2015

Water snakes and water moccasins are from two different families (respectively, Colubridae, the largest snake family; and Viperidae, or vipers), but they look superficially similar, according to Bill Heyborne, a herpetologist and professor of biology at Southern Utah University. “The similarity may be an evolutionary adaptation of the water snakes to avoid predation.”  One good way to tell them apart is by their heads and necks. “Water moccasins tend to have blocky, heavy heads, and thick stocky bodies for their length,” he said. “They also tend to have a more distinctive neck.” In contrast, “water snakes have a narrower, rounder head, a longer, more slender body and a less distinctive neck,” said Heyborne. Water snakes do not have any heat-sensitive pits on their faces, while water moccasins do, but getting close enough to a snake to determine the presence of pits is dangerous.