MEET THE SNAKE!
COMMON NAME:
Lake Erie Water Snake/Lake Erie Watersnake
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Nerodia sipedon insularum
HABITAT:
Cliffs and rocky shorelines of Canadian and American islands in Western Lake Erie
DIET (Historic):
Half amphibians such as frogs
Half native fish
DIET (Current):
90% Eurasian Round Goby
Remaining 10% mudpuppies and the remaining native fish
CONSERVATION STATUS:
Removed from Threatened/Endangered Species List (1999) in 2011
Lake Erie Water Snake/Lake Erie Watersnake
SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Nerodia sipedon insularum
HABITAT:
Cliffs and rocky shorelines of Canadian and American islands in Western Lake Erie
DIET (Historic):
Half amphibians such as frogs
Half native fish
DIET (Current):
90% Eurasian Round Goby
Remaining 10% mudpuppies and the remaining native fish
CONSERVATION STATUS:
Removed from Threatened/Endangered Species List (1999) in 2011
The Lake Erie Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon insularum) is a sub-species of the Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon). The snake usually ranges from pale gray to brownish. They can have bandings ranging from unbanded, intermediate, and banded colour morphs. The Lake Erie Watersnake, like most other snakes in the Nerodia (watersnake) genus, is a non-venomous snake. Snakes in the Nerodia genus are also ovoviviparous, meaning they mate in the spring and give birth to live young in the summer and early fall. The Lake Erie Watersnake used to eat mostly amphibians and fish but now the invasive Eurasian Round Goby makes up 90% of what it eats. The Lake Erie Watersnake was once listed as a threatened species but has since been removed from the list.