CreatureData

Brown wax

Nerodia fasciata (Linnaeus, 1766)

Status not recordedsnakes

The brown wax (Nerodia fasciata) is a species in the family Colubridae, order Squamata. Recorded adults live up to 9.58 years.

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Quick facts about the brown wax

Weight
Not recorded
Length
up to 1.59 msrc for Length
Lifespan
9.58 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Carnivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
16 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
forestsrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
19.5 – 22.8src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
2 yearssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Reproduction
Live birthsrc for Reproduction
Active
Day and night (cathemeral)src for Active
Conservation status
Not recorded
Countries on record
Not recorded

What does the brown wax eat, and what eats it?

Species recorded in published studies and collections.

Recorded prey of the brown wax

5 on record

  1. Southern leopard frog Lithobates sphenocephalus15 sources
  2. Southern toad Anaxyrus terrestris2 sources
  3. Walking catfish Clarias batrachus2 sources
  4. Mosquitofish Gambusia affinis2 sources
  5. Greater siren Siren lacertina2 sources

Recorded predators of the brown wax

1 on record

  1. Racer Coluber constrictor4 sources

Each pair is recorded by at least two independent datasets. A record shows the animal was seen or found to have eaten the other, including scavenged carcasses and young animals; it does not say how often. Compiled by Global Biotic Interactions (CC0 1.0).

References for these records
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/348108020
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/162202225
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/92797301
  • NERODIA FASCIATA (Southern Watersnake). FORAGING BEHAVIOR. 2012. Herpetological Review 43(2): 348-348
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/252439482
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/321287149
  • NERODIA FASCIATA (Southern Watersnake). DIET. 2018. Herpetological Review 49(4): 757-757
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/327273254
  • Foods and Habitats of Aquatic Snakes (Reptilia, Serpentes) in a Louisiana Swamp. 1978. Journal of Herpetology 12(4): 543-554
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/260580856
  • Feeding Habits of Nerodia taxispilota with Comparative Notes on the Foods of Sympatric Congeners in Georgia. 1980. Journal of Herpetology 14(3): 301-304
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/327901555

Where does the brown wax live?

Not recorded

Is the brown wax endangered?

No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.

How is the brown wax classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classReptilia
  4. orderSquamata
  5. familyColubridae
  6. genusNerodia
  7. SpeciesNerodia fasciata (Linnaeus, 1766)

Synonyms Coluber fasciatus, Natrix fasciata confluens, Natrix fasciata pictiventris, Natrix sipedon engelsi, Natrix sipedon fasciata, Tropidonotus bisectus

Other names and names in other languages (16)
  • Southern water snakeEnglish
  • Southern water snakesEnglish
  • užovka páskovanáCzech
  • Nordamerikansk Båndet VandsnogDanish
  • Südliche SchwimmnatterGerman
  • Gebänderte WassernatterGerman
  • culebra de agua sureñaSpanish
  • ナンブミズベヘビJapanese
  • Gebandeerde waterslangDutch
  • Cobra-d'água-listradaPortuguese
  • Полосатый ужRussian
  • Поперечнополосатая неродияRussian
  • Banded Water Snakeroot
  • Broad-banded Water Snakeroot
  • Florida Water Snakeroot
  • 南方美洲水蛇Chinese

Catalogue of LifeiNaturalistITISWikidataWoRMS

Relatives of the brown wax

Other species in the same genus Nerodia.

CompareBrown wax vs Common watersnakeBrown wax vs Brown water snakeBrown wax vs Green water snakeBrown wax vs Salt marsh snake

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How long does the brown wax live?

The brown wax has a recorded lifespan of 9.58 years.

What kind of animal is the brown wax?

The brown wax (Nerodia fasciata) belongs to the family Colubridae in the order Squamata.

What eats the brown wax?

Animals recorded preying on the brown wax include racer. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

Which animals does the brown wax eat?

Animals recorded as prey of the brown wax include southern leopard frog, southern toad, walking catfish and mosquitofish. The records are compiled by Global Biotic Interactions from published studies; each pair is reported by at least two datasets.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-14. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Brown wax (Nerodia fasciata). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/brown-wax

MLA

“Brown wax (Nerodia fasciata).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/brown-wax.

BibTeX
@misc{brown_wax_2026,
  title = {Brown wax (Nerodia fasciata)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/brown-wax},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-14}
}