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Green Water Snake — Part 2
Beneath, the colour is yellow, profusely and irregularly blotched with dark brown.
Young and half-grown specimens have a paler ground-colour and black bands. They have the habit of coiling in nearly circular fashion, and when in this position assume a striking similarity to small examples of the banded rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), hence the appellation of "water rattle," which the negroes have given the species.
Total Length . . . . . 4 feet 2 inches.
Length of Tail . . . . . 12 inches.
Diameter of Body . . . . . 2 inches.
Width of Head (over plates) . . . . . 7/8 inches.
Width of Head (at rear) . . . . . 1 1/2 inches.
Length of Head . . . . . 2 1/4 inches.
In several ways this creature is characteristic. When in the water it has the habit of twisting the tail about the base of an aquatic plant, while the body rears to the surface, in an upright position, the head alone floating flat upon the water.
As a captive, it is rather delicate, the majority of specimens feeding sparingly, others not at all. While inducing specimens of this reptile to eat it is generally necessary to provide a fair sized tank, in which they pass most of their time. Living fish must be introduced and after these they swim rapidly, beneath the surface. The chase after the fish is with open mouth, and the snakes display wonderful agility in capturing the darting prey.
Like the other water snakes, this species produces a large number of living young. These are quite large in proportion to the size of the parent.
One peculiarity of all the water snakes has been frequently noted by the writer. They are very local in habits and many individuals in a wild state seem to remain for years within a very small area. The writer remembers an instance of a large female specimen of the common water snake, that had taken up her abode in the crevices of a high mill-dam, near a small New England town. A certain rock, which jutted out a foot or more from the dam, was her favourite basking place. Here she would be seen every fine morning, flattened and enjoying the rays of the sun. Frightened from the shelving stone, she would dive into the water, to finally make her way back through crevices in the wall and emerge on her favourite napping place. For several successive years in passing through the district, the writer visited the old and deserted mill to ascertain if the snake was yet there. On each occasion, on a sunny morning, she would be seen as described.
In the South, the water snakes have their favourite roosts on large, derelict tree trunks, where the same individuals may be seen day after day. Many times have we gazed helplessly at these showy reptiles, sunning their thick bodies on logs or branches, some distance from the shore. For during many attempts to effect their capture from a boat, armed with a long pole and noose, it was realised that the reptiles' extreme shyness rendered our approach to within a noosing distance, quite impossible.
One big brown water snake gave us a substantial scare one day, which later showed an interesting trait on the reptile's part. With the guide we were passing through a narrow clearing near the Savannah River. On each side of the clearing, was a series of shallow, marshy pools, over some of which grew a densely tangled brush. There was a sudden thrashing and crash of the brush on our left, causing us all to start with surprise. The guide, an experienced woodsman, declared that nothing but a bear could make so much noise, and promptly sent two blind charges of buckshot into what had been the centre of the disturbance. As silence followed and an extended investigation revealed nothing, we continued on our way.
On returning through the opening in the timber our attention was naturally attracted toward the scene of the morning's incident. When within a hundred feet of the spot the situation cleared, for the cause of the disturbance was very apparent in the shape of a huge specimen of the "water rattle"--brown water snake, lying stretched upon the top of the brush, which sagged perceptibly beneath the creature's weight. As we approached it literally threw itself from the top of the growth, and in a frenzied effort to get below and into the water, thrashed its body violently from side to side and produced a noise that more resembled the progress of a cow through the bushes, than the escape of a serpent.