Diamondback Water Snake (Nerodia rhombifera rhombifera)
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Closely related to the Blotched Water Snake, the Diamondback Water Snake is also sometimes seen in the Garden ponds. The patterns on its back are a bit more defined than those of the other species and consist of light diamonds surrounded by dark lines. While the water snakes in the Garden tend to avoid people, if cornered, the Diamondback Water Snake will bite aggressively. As with the Blotched, the Diamondback also bears live young. Its prey consists of fish and frogs. The individual shown below is eating a fish and shows just how wide the loose jaws of a snake can stretch.
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class: Reptilia / order: Squamata / family: Colubridae / genus: Nerodia / species: rhombifera / subspecies: rhombifera
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