When I go on a photo trip in the evening or during the weekends I have my eyes open for any critter out there that tries to make a living in the Mississippi Valley. Two days ago I discovered this Northern Water Snake in the marina of Finley’s Landing down at the Mississippi River. It was swimming very fast and so it was almost impossible to focus the lens on the reptile. But suddenly the snake stopped, probably because it sensed danger by my try to follow it at the edge of the water.
Northern Water Snakes are nonvenomous but they can bite if handled. They may briefly grab hold while twisting the body, producing more laceration than most other harmless snake bites. These snakes can be found in all of Iowa except the north-west and north-central parts. They eat fish, frogs, and salamanders. (source: “The Snakes of Iowa”, by Dr. J.L. Christiansen and Dr. R.M. Bailey).
Looking at the final photo on my computer screen I thought it was interesting how the snake supports its body while resting on two stems of reed. It’s the little things in nature that amaze me the most quite often…