# Diamondback Watersnake

*Nerodia rhombifer*

They are excellent climbers and are often found basking on tree limbs overhanging water, into which they drop at the slightest sign of danger.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Chordata › Reptilia › Squamata › Colubridae › Nerodia
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** wetland
- **Habitat:** Slow-moving rivers, lakes, ponds, and freshwater marshes.
- **Diet:** Primarily fish and amphibians, occasionally crayfish.
- **Range:** Central United States, Southern United States, Mexico
- **Size:** 30 to 60 inches in length
- **Lifespan:** 9-15 years
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat destruction and human persecution due to being mistaken for venomous species.
- **Safe to approach?:** Often mistaken for the venomous Cottonmouth. This snake is non-venomous but highly defensive; it will bite repeatedly and release a foul musk if cornered. Maintain a distance of five feet. If bitten, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water to prevent infection; seek medical advice only if signs of infection or allergic reaction occur.

## About

Nerodia rhombifer , commonly known as the diamondback water snake , is a species of nonvenomous natricine colubrid endemic to the central United States and northern Mexico. There are three recognized subspecies of N. rhombifer , including the nominotypical subspecies.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/2f10bcb9-e71c-4204-a66f-9a32584b2f34
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/29310
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerodia rhombifer
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/236611507/medium.jpeg (B. P. White, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.