Nerodia fasciata
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The banded water snake or southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata) is a species of mostly aquatic, nonvenomous, colubrid snakes most commonly found in the Midwest, Southeastern United States. Nerodia fasciata is natively found from southern Illinois, south to Louisiana, and east to North Carolina and Florida. Introduced populations exist in Texas and California; other sources include eastern Texas in its natural range. In 1992, its congener Nerodia sipedon (northern or common water snake) and it were found in three sites in California by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Further trapping did indeed catch large numbers of them, indicating that a thriving invasive population exists in that area.
Adults of the banded water snake typically range from 56 to 107 cm (22 to 42 in) in total length, with a record size (in the Florida subspecies) of 159 cm (62.5 in) in total length. It is typically gray, greenish-gray, or brown in color, with... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecomuseum Zoo | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Philadelphia Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Oklahoma Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Water Snake sighting in Miami on a given day, based on 199 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 58 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Water Snake in Miami on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Banded Water Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Banded Water Snake sightings, Miami ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Houston (United States, about 20%) and Orlando (United States, about 20%).
Same genus: Nerodia
The closest relatives of the Banded Water Snake that you can see in Miami (genus Nerodia, Watersnakes) are Brown Watersnake (about 10%) and Florida Green Watersnake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Banded Water Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Miami (199 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
