The Lake
Erie water snake Nerodia sipedon
insularum, listed as a threatened species, sports a drab
gray, brownish color without bold markings that serves as camouflage on the
island’s rocky limestone shoreline. The
belly is white or pale yellow and it has a length of between one in a half to
three in a half feet long. While
living on the island it adapted to the predominant food supply, learning to
catch fish, in contrast to its cousin, which dined primarily on amphibians.
It is not
poisonous, but it does bite with its tiny sharp teeth.
When alarmed it emits an anticoagulant that causes the teeniest cut to
bleed as if a vein has been struck. Young
snakes are born mid-August through September with an average litter size of
twenty-three young.
The Lake
Erie water snake is easily seen as you walk along Kelleys Island’s shoreline.
You may even be lucky to find one swimming out of the water with a large
fish in it’s mouth and wonder how on earth will he swallow it!
More
Lake Erie Water Snake Information
Last updated on
July 31, 2006
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