There are many types of water snakes found in the world. The type of snake you encounter depends on the region in which you are traveling. You should know that a snake could strike you from a distance of half of their body length. Hence it is safe to stay at a distance more than half of their body length. This striking distance is only when you encounter the snake in land.



In water their striking distance is very limited. Better avoid the areas in which the snakes sun. Usually they will be sunning in the branches that protrude over the waterfront so that if they find any encounter they will drop themselves into water and escape. That is why when you are canoeing you have to be careful when you move into the low-lying areas where branches of trees protrude over the waterfront. Some of the common water snakes that you might come across are the northern water snakes, red belly water snakes, banded water snakes, cottonmouth snakes, and the brown water snakes. The northern water snake is usually 22 to 59 inches in length and is found in the lakes, streams, rivers, marshes, swamps, ditches, and ponds. It is thick bodied and has a dark band around its neck. You can find half moon spots in its belly. It is found in the central and eastern US. Usually they come out in the night.

The cottonmouth water moccasin is a poisonous snake, which is also aggressive in the sense that it will approach the intruder in the area. It is semi aquatic in nature. Usually they lie on the water logs with part of their body in water waiting for their prey to come within their reach. This kind of water snake could be having a dark body color and a light belly color. It might also have body cross-bands. When this snake bites you it would latch on to the area with its bite rather than the bite and release pattern found in the other snakes. It has a powerful jaw. Some of the subspecies of this water snake include the eastern, western, and the Florida cottonmouth.

The brown water snake is usually active during the day and rarely hunts during the night. Fishes and frogs constitute its main dish. It also climbs the branches to sleep on the overhanging branches over the water. It usually escapes when you frighten it and if you need a bite you can catch it! It is usually found in the southeastern U.S. The Diamondback water snakes have a chain like pattern in its body and have a yellow belly. It is found in the marshes, swamps, and the lakes of south central and southwestern U.S. they have long teeth and hence the bite from these snakes would be more painful.