Females grow larger than males; most copperbellies over 30 inches long are females. The Great Lakes State has a wide variety of wildlife living in its woods and waters. In total there are approximately 13 species of snakes in the park from the common but small red-bellied snake at only about a foot in length, to the Black Rat Snake which can get up to a daunting 5 ft in length*. True Pine Snakes, related to Bull Snakes, are confined to the southeastern states – the Carolinas, Georgia, and south into Florida and Louisiana. On warm, sunny days in the fall, they're often seen in large numbers soaking up the sun on back roads and bike trails. The Northern Water Snake can be found in a variety of colors, but the majority will have bands of brown, black and dark green, although they can also have a sandy or reddish color on the body. The massasauga is on the endangered list, along with the queen snake, western ribbon snake and the northern ribbon snake. Had I called this snake a Pine Snake, many of you would have easily visualized this common reptile of northeastern Wisconsin. Northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon). Both snakes live in To set the record straight, there are no Pine Snakes in our state. A medium to large snake found statewide, most com-monly in the southern half of Wisconsin, near or in water. There are many misconceptions about what snakes are found here. The other nine are snakes: the northern water, eastern garter, northern red-bellied, smooth green, blue racer, western fox, eastern milk, northern ring-necked and eastern hog-nosed. A Northern Water Snake at Devil’s Lake State Park. They inhabit the edges of shallow lakes or river marshes where the vegetation is quite rank. Smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis). Look out for water snakes this summer. The copperbelly water snake is a non-venomous snake that grows 2 to 4 feet in length. Northern Water Snakes, usually quite dark in color, are excellent swimmers below the water as well as on the surface. If you see one keep, your distance, or let it be. Have you ever seen a red-bellied snake? Any time you are going camping near lakes, streams, or rivers, it’s pretty common to see water snakes. These snakes are very common in Wisconsin. This is every species of snake found in Michigan. Don’t try and kill it. The timber rattlesnake and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake are the only Wisconsin snakes to truly be afraid of. It has a solid dark (usually black) back with a bright orange-red belly. The front one-third of the snake has distinct bands of dark brown; the rear two-thirds have alternating blotches; the head is shiny chocolate brown. length: 8-10 inches. However no snake in the park is poisonous other than the Timber Rattler. Both "water moccasin" and "cottonmouth" are common names for Agkistrodon piscivorus, according to Sara Viernum, a herpetologist based in Madison, Wisconsin. Habitat. Among the roughly 21 species of snakes that call Wisconsin home, there are two that are venomous - the timber rattlesnake and the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. Especially if it is a massasauga. Among the deer, elk, bears, and many different types of birds are several different kinds of snakes.. As the snakes get older their color will darken, and the older adult snakes will actually have a body that is almost entirely black. Like most snakes, they like to bask in the sun on a flat rock or fallen tree. Not to give you nightmares or anything, but the reality is that almost all snakes can swim. The eastern milk snake, along with the fox snake, northern water snake and hog-nosed snake, are the most common large snakes likely to be encountered here. Wisconsin status: common. 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