水蛇 ∕ Water Snakes

我在 cottage 河畔游泳時,有時候会看到一些水蛇,在石塊上晒太陽享受,或在水草叢中覓食,它們懶洋洋地躺那裡,在溫暖的陽光下,讓我拍照。

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(The following was added on Aug 25, 2008 13h15)

Reference information on "Northern Water Snake":

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Water_Snake

"... The Northern Water Snake, Nerodia sipedon, is a large, non-venomous, well-known snake in the Colubridae family that is native to North America. They are active during the day and at night. They are most often seen basking on rocks, stumps, or brush. During the day, they hunt among plants at the water's edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water.

Northern Water Snakes grow over four feet long. They can be brown, gray, reddish, or brownish-black. They have dark crossbands on their necks and dark blotches on the rest of their bodies ....

Northern Water Snakes mate from April through June. They are live-bearers, which means they do not lay eggs like most snakes. Instead, they carry them inside their bodies and give birth to baby snakes, each one six to twelve inches long. A female may have as many as thirty young at a time. Babies are born between August and October. Mothers do not care for their young; as soon as they are born, they are on their own.

Northern Water Snakes have many predators, including birds, raccoons, opossums, foxes, snapping turtles, and other snakes. They defend themselves vigorously when they are threatened. If they are picked up by an animal, or person, they will bite, as well as release excrement and musk. Their saliva contains an anticoagulant which can cause its wounds caused by biting to bleed profusely ...."