CreatureData

Common watersnake

Nerodia sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758)

Status not recordedsnakes

The common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) is a species in the family Colubridae, order Squamata. Recorded adults weigh 325 g to 1.31 kg and live up to 9.6 years.

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Quick facts about the common watersnake

Weight
325 g – 1.31 kgsrc for Weight
Length
up to 1.5 msrc for Length
Lifespan
9.6 yearssrc for Lifespan
Diet
Carnivoresrc for Diet
Longest recorded lifespan
21 years
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
forestsrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
27.2 – 30src for Young per litter or clutch
Age at maturity
2 years – 3 yearssrc for Age at maturity
Litters or clutches a year
1src for Litters or clutches a year
Reproduction
Live birthsrc for Reproduction
Active
By day (diurnal)src for Active
Conservation status
Not recorded
Countries on record
Not recorded

What does the common watersnake eat, and what eats it?

Species recorded in published studies and collections.

Recorded prey of the common watersnake

4 on record

  1. Bull Lepomis macrochirus14 sources
  2. Common snapping turtle Chelydra serpentina2 sources
  3. Spring salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus2 sources
  4. River chub Nocomis micropogon2 sources

Recorded predators of the common watersnake

1 on record

  1. Racer Coluber constrictor3 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/374784445
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/297741106
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/160746363
  • Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. 2013. The Animal Diversity Web (online). Accessed at http://animaldiversity.org.
  • John David Curlis (Expert)
  • NERODIA SIPEDON SIPEDON (Northern Watersnake). DIET. 2003. Herpetological Review 34(4): 377-377
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/341980799
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/57671443
  • NERODIA SIPEDON SIPEDON (Northern Watersnake). FEEDING BEHAVIOR. 2013. Herpetological Review 44(2): 333-333
  • COLUBER CONSTRICTOR (North American Racer). DIET. 2016. Herpetological Review 47(3): 475-475
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/78966182
  • https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/112459666

Where does the common watersnake live?

Not recorded

Is the common watersnake 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 common watersnake classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classReptilia
  4. orderSquamata
  5. familyColubridae
  6. genusNerodia
  7. SpeciesNerodia sipedon (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms Coluber sipedon, Natrix fasciata pleuralis, Natrix sipedon, Natrix sipedon williamengelsi, Nerodia agassizii

Other names and names in other languages (25)
  • Northern water snakeEnglish
  • SásêškóvétaCheyenne
  • užovka mokasínováCzech
  • Nordlig Amerikansk VandsnogDanish
  • SiegelringnatterGerman
  • Gebänderte WasserschlangeGerman
  • Gemeine WasserschlangeGerman
  • Nördliche WasserschlangeGerman
  • Siegel-RingelnatterGerman
  • Siegelring-SchwimmnatterGerman
  • Serpiente de Agua del NorteSpanish
  • couleuvre d'eauFrench
  • Natrice americanaItalian
  • Biscia d'acqua americanaItalian
  • zegelslangDutch
  • OmisandamooOjibwa
  • Cobra-d'água-do-nortePortuguese
  • Северный американский ужRussian
  • Hanö:döhSeneca
  • Американський вуж північнийUkrainian
  • Midland Water Snakeroot
  • Carolina Water Snakeroot
  • Lake Erie Water Snakeroot
  • Northern Water Snakeroot
  • 北方水蛇Chinese

Catalogue of LifeiNaturalistITISWikidataWoRMS

Relatives of the common watersnake

Other species in the same genus Nerodia.

Brown wax

Nerodia fasciata

ColubridaeNo free photo yet

CompareCommon watersnake vs Brown waxCommon watersnake vs Brown water snakeCommon watersnake vs Green water snakeCommon watersnake vs Salt marsh snake

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the common watersnake?

An adult common watersnake weighs 325 g – 1.31 kg, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

How long does the common watersnake live?

The common watersnake has a recorded lifespan of 9.6 years.

What kind of animal is the common watersnake?

The common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) belongs to the family Colubridae in the order Squamata.

What eats the common watersnake?

Animals recorded preying on the common watersnake 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 common watersnake eat?

Animals recorded as prey of the common watersnake include bull, common snapping turtle, spring salamander and river chub. 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). Common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-watersnake

MLA

“Common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-watersnake.

BibTeX
@misc{common_watersnake_2026,
  title = {Common watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-watersnake},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-14}
}