Herpetofauna: One Life's List

Nerodia fasciata confluens
Broadbanded Water Snake

Mingo Swamp, Wayne Co. Missouri.
May 12, 1983

These may be the most beautiful of all North American water snakes.  My first came with a lucky grab from a canoe in Mingo Swamp down in southeastern Missouri.  The Broadbanded used to occur in southern Illinois in small numbers, but now may be gone from the state. I keep an  eye out for them when I'm down that way.

In October of 2002 I was able to return to Mingo and photograph several confluens.  The photo is a nice adult, photographed en situ.