red belly 4 to five feet in length
Posted by daniel walsh on August 24, 2005
Q: i recently encountered a dark gray backed snake with a red belly. do you know what kind it might have been.
State: Virginia
Habitat: pond/lake
A: The only large, dark-backed, red-bellied snake in the east is the Red-bellied Water Snake — but their distribution in Virginia is restricted to the southeastern corner of the state. Although large and intimidating, these snakes are harmless. They eat mostly amphibians and fish. This species is found further away from water than other waters snakes. In Illinois, I often found Yellow-bellied Waters Snakes — a related subspecies — in upland forest with no water in sight.
Here is a link with more information about this snake in Virginia:
Hope this helps!
Solon Morse ( August 25, 2005)