Missouri Animals Northern water snake   (Nerodia sipedon) Chordate: Vertebrate: Reptile: Serpentia: Colubridae Native North American snake Habitat: rivers, lakes. Diet: fish, frogs, tadpoles.. ID Features: dark body with darker bands on the sides of the body. Natural History: The Northern Water Snake is Missouri's most common water snake and is found statewide in small rivers and streams. They are often seen basking in sunny places along streams. They are NOT VENOMOUS!! Unfortunately, they are often mistaken for the rarer cottonmouth and are killed on the busy waterways of Missouri, such as the Jacks Fork and Current Rivers..

The graphics and text are from: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri by Tom R. Johnson, Missouri Department of Conservation, ©1992