Missouri Animals
Diamondback Water Snake   (Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer)
Chordate: Vertebrate: Reptile: Serpentia: Colubridae
Native North American snake

Habitat: swamps, sloughs, and marshes.
Diet: fish, frogs, toads, salamanders.
ID Features: mottled body in shades of brown, aggressive.
Natural History: The diamond back water snake is Missouri's largest water snake, reaching 4' in length. They bask on rocks and logs in or near water, and bite vigorously to defend themselves..
 Diamondback Water Snake
The graphics and text are from:
The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri by Tom R. Johnson, Missouri Department of Conservation, ©1992