Misunderstood swimmers

Did you know? All snakes have the capacity to swim!

That’s right! All snakes have the capacity to swim (although not all snakes are great swimmers)!

Many snake species hunt aquatic animals like fish, crayfish, tadpoles, and frogs. Some species hunt in or through the water. Others like having a vantage point among shrubs that hang low over the water or exposed tree roots along a bank. Tree-hanging does raise the risk of falling in the water though, so naturally they need to be able to get back to shore! Snakes may also swim in order to stay cool, or they may just be trying to get themselves “from here to there.”

A snake’s height and speed in the water are related in part to the speed of its head-to-tail, S-shaped undulations. But limbless swimming gets even more fascinating than that! The water snake, Nerodia sipedon, commonly known as the northern watersnake, also laterally compresses the rear half to two-thirds of its body while swimming. This means that while swimming, it squeezes its back half into a thin, eel-like shape!

Despite the universal ability of snakes to swim, watersnakes are frequently misidentified as cottonmouth snakes, even outside of the cottonmouth’s range! Many an innocent snake has perished (and many a mother has had high-anxiety playdates) for such misidentifications, misplaced fear, and other incorrect information.

Among snakes living in Virginia, humans are not on the menu. That means they would generally prefer to ignore you entirely. This also means that human-snake encounters are significantly more dangerous to snakes than to humans.

Snakes are critical members of healthy ecosystems. They help maintain populations of pests and maintain other prey populations at densities that inhibit the spread of diseases. So, if you see a snake in or near the water, simply make note and avoid it. Often, if you look away for a moment and give it a chance to escape from your sight, it will do just that.