Students observed a water snake that had caught a fish. Mr. Dinkel sent us a picture. Dr. Fine's colleague identified the snake. Here's some of what he wrote:
"Great picture! It’s a Northern Water Snake (Common Water Snake). The scientific name is Nerodia sipedon. It appears to be a young adult since the pattern is still distinct. As they get older, they get more and more medium to dark brown until you can barely see the pattern. Like Garter Snakes, they are ovoviviparous (eggs retained internally, bear live young). I remember catching a large Northern Water Snake one spring day when I was in high school. I brought it home and fed it frogs and fish. It remained nasty and had to be handled with gloves. One summer day, I was stunned to see 48 baby snakes wriggling around in the cage. I released them back into the wild."
