SUMMARY
VENOM: Very mild - no known danger
PREVALENCE: Common where found
ACTIVE PERIOD: Mostly active at night
KEY ID FEATURES: Light brown as juveniles and dark brown or black as adults with white ventrals
BEHAVIOR: Aquatic, may be found shallow muddy costal mangrove water, burrows in mud and forages for prey in water
SIZE: Small - avg. 50cm
IUCN: LC - Least Concerned
QUICK ASSESSMENT 0-10
GALLERY
IMPORTANT: Many snakes have significant variance in coloration and pattern even within the same species. There can also be extreme differences in appearance from juveniles to adults so it is important to never assume you have properly identified a snake.
DESCRIPTION
Crab eating water snakes are short stout snakes. They are light brown with small black flecks as juveniles and dark brown or black as adults with white ventrals. Head is short with strong jaws and is indistinct from the neck.
BEHAVIOR
Mostly nocturnal Crab eating water snakes come out at night to hunt for crabs. They tend to actively hunt in shallow costal mangrove mud flats, usually underwater and will also bury into mud. They can also position motionless in wait but are normally active hunters.
HABITAT
Found exclusively in mangrove and coastal mud flats it is a less common snakes to encounter but very abundant where they exist. Due to their diet of costal aquatic prey and preference to lay just under the surface of the water.
MISTAKEN IDENTITY
NO SNAKE SHOULD EVER BE HANDLED BY ANYONE BUT EXPERTS: Can be mistaken for some other aquatic snakes but generally not confused with dangerously venomous species.