In Columbia Missouri, my sister took me on a quick visit to Stephens Lake Park. We took a walk around the lake and saw a few birds and a northern water-snake.
Norther water snakes are often misidentified as Copperheads when they are reddish brown in color. Looking at the photos in the comfort of my home it's easy to identify this snake as a Northern Water-snake. Copper heads are pit vipers and this snake doesn't have a pit between it's eyes and nostril. Another clue is it pupils are spherical shaped and a copper head has elliptical shaped pupils. The bands don't have the same shape either, but I can see how they get misidentified. The Northern Water-snake is not poisonous.
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| Stephens Lake |
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| Stephens Lake |
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| Canadian Geese |
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| Red-winged Blackbird |
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| Water lillies, I don't recall seeing water lillies like these on the Missouri farm. |
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| Northern Watersnake, non venomous |
Norther water snakes are often misidentified as Copperheads when they are reddish brown in color. Looking at the photos in the comfort of my home it's easy to identify this snake as a Northern Water-snake. Copper heads are pit vipers and this snake doesn't have a pit between it's eyes and nostril. Another clue is it pupils are spherical shaped and a copper head has elliptical shaped pupils. The bands don't have the same shape either, but I can see how they get misidentified. The Northern Water-snake is not poisonous.
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| Northern Water-snake |