Snakes in Burlington County NJ
Posted by michelle mellor on May 31, 2008
Q: A few friends and I were at a park in Medford NJ, near a creek, with our dogs. There was a very agitated black snake near the bank of the creek. It was pure black but when the sun hit it, you could see red or maroonish and orange coloring. It was around 7-8 feet long and it's head was about the size of a small fist. It raised its head as if to strike and we were fortunate to get all the dogs away. The snake never backed down. Any ideas of what kind of snake we were dealing with—is it safe to go back????
State: New Jersey
Habitat: stream/river
A: >
Sounds very much like you and your dogs startled a Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon). This is a very common, non-poisonous snake that is found around lakes and streams in your area. Although young water snakes often are patterned with some color, as they age, much of their color and pattern disappear. I liked your description of its color in direct sunlight. The record size for a Northern Water Snake is about 4.5 feet so I'm assuming it looked much larger to you than it was. Although the snake may have seemed dangerous to you and the dogs, it was merely on the defensive and protecting itself by acting aggressive- it was as scared of you as you were of it. Don't let this incidence keep you from enjoying the outdoors - consider it a special encounter that you experienced. Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( June 1, 2008)