Mangrove water snakes

[crimsonking]

I noticed this girl today while looking for minnows. Tampa Bay, FL.http://gallery.reptilerap.com/data/529/196ccl1a.JPG

[crimsonking]

I had to get closer. I had seen her before and now she's obviously gravid and in her shed cycle. http://gallery.reptilerap.com/data/529/196ccl3a-med.JPG

[crimsonking]

Then I noticed this girl, also quite gravid and in shed. A bit ticked off too!http://gallery.reptilerap.com/data/529/196ccl5a.JPG Red/orange phase. There were 3 more of varying shades including a very light male that was in no mood for handling.
:Markhttp://gallery.reptilerap.com/data/529/196ccl4a.JPG

[Mike177]

Cool! i see you got bit by that water snake. do u use hooks or anything or just you hands?

[crimsonking]

No hooks, it's part of the deal when you're messing with natricines. Musk and teeth. Actually though, these mangrove salt marsh snakes are, in my experience, quite docile usually. I really surprised this guy by nearly stepping on him, then grabbing him as he fled. If you ease up on them and they don't flee, you can pick them up without much commotion from them. -- Usually-LOL!
:Mark

[Tim and Julie B]

Wow great pics! I caught my first snake of the year on Wed. Those are some cool water snakes!

[Vanan]

What snake did u catch out there Tim??

BTW, Mark how are your own Mangroves doin? ;)

[crimsonking]

Vanan, the females are ready to pop any day. I'll only keep a very few, and release all the rest where I found the parents. I want to document the gestation period and other stuff since there's not much info out there. Plus you guys want pics too, don't you??
:Mark

[Tim and Julie B]

Yes please!

[Vanan]

How long dya reckon she's been gravid for?

[crimsonking]

My females at home bred in Feb.-Mar. So I'm figuring at about 3 1/2 months. I'll have to look it up.

[snkmn]

great pix man!

[snakegal12345]

i like the bite pic lol

[foman]

good finds.

[Simon]

nice find~
lovely photos and love the bite pic~

[burmer]

Great pics!!!! I've lived in Florida for a long time now and still haven't seen one yet. What part of the Tampa area did you find it?

[crimsonking]

Wow, I can't believe the interest in this old (4mo) thread lately. I had more pics earlier, but have since deleted them. Burmer, they're more common than you might think-- just hard to see in the mangrove roots and all. Where are you located? Maybe I could steer you in the right direction.
:Mark

[burmer]

I'm about 15 miles west of Orlando in Lake county.

[crimsonking]

Well. obviously you'll need to get farther west. They inhabit the mangrove shorelines up and down the coast. Here in Tampa Bay and south to the Keys. Farther north, there's the gulf salt marsh snake and I'm sure there's a zone of intergradation as well. The mangroves here can and do interbreed with the FL. water snake too, though I have not seen any fasciata in the immediate area where I find the mangroves. You have to look really close in the web of roots, and even in the trees themselves to see them. Next time your over this way, contact me and maybe we could go find one or two.
:Mark

[burmer]

Sounds good thanks. I'm over in the area from time to time. I used to work in Tampa and lived just north of Tampa for a long time.

[crimsonking]

Here's an orange one (one of the females I ended up breeding this year) in the mangrove roots as I found her.
:Mark

[burmer]

Very nice!!!

[crimsonking]

... here's the first one I found this year. Sunning as I found her. 10 feet from my car on the shoreline rip-rap.
:Markhttp://www.ssnakess.com/photopost/data/500/151mangrovesaltmarsh22.JPG