Nerodia sipedon (Striped Water Snake)

Origin: North America
Length: Up to 100 centimeters
Age: 12-18 years
The color is light to dark brown, with dark, flame-like spots on the neck and head, large dark spots to transverse bands on the back and a barred tip of the tail. The dorsal spots are wider than the base color. Irregular black and brown spots are present on the belly, these are often crescent-shaped

Care
Experience: Intermediate/experienced snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey (young mice, adult mice and baby rats).
Feed adult: Every 7 to 10 days.
Feed young: Every 4 to 6 days
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: 3 times a week

Power supply
Water snakes are often found around water and eat fish and earthworms. Pinkies can also be part of the diet, but make sure they don't get too fat. When they become too fat, the diet can be limited to fish only. Young animals can have trouble eating pinkies, but as they get older this often goes well. To get them on pinkies you can give the pinkies the smell of fish, that way they will eat pinkies.

Water
Water snakes can be kept in an aqua terrarium, if this is not an option, a large water bowl is certainly necessary. This should also be cleaned daily.

Cleaning
A hygienic living environment is important to keep your snake healthy. To achieve this, the accommodation will have to be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once a week is regular enough. In addition, to prevent the build-up of bacteria, the entire accommodation must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year.

Handling
To feed the snake and clean the enclosure it can be useful to handle your snake. Of course, this must be done properly so that the snake and you are safe. Handle the hose with a hose hook or lift it with two hands. Do not hang your hose around your neck, because if the hose falls it will clamp itself around your neck. In addition, there are some important things to pay attention to when handling a snake. First, make sure that your snake understands that you are going to handle it and move slowly when handling it. Also make sure your hands are washed and do not smell like food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is shedding and do not handle it in the dark.

Housing
Minimum size enclosure for 1 snake: 100 x 40 x 80 cm
Lying area: 1m2.
Day temperature: 20-30oC
Night temperature: 10-15C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Ground cover: Newspapers, coco peat, bark or peat litter

Design
The water snake does not need a gigantic enclosure. The water bowl should be large enough for the snake to bathe in. Also make sure that this water bowl is stable so that they cannot knock it over. Finally, the hose must be given the opportunity to pull away. You can achieve this by offering the snake hiding places in the form of an upturned flower pot or an artificial cave.
Before your stay, there are some extra things that should be taken into account. For example, the snake is quite good at escaping and care will have to be taken that they cannot just open their door. You can do this by putting a lock on the accommodation. In addition, ventilation is necessary to keep the air fresh and it is advisable to place the accommodation out of the bright sun and as vibration-free as possible.

Behaviour
Hunting method: Strangler snake
Lifestyle: terrestrial and nocturnal

Character
It is a quiet snake that is easy to handle and therefore also suitable for novice keepers.

Points of attention
A very good snake for novice terrarium keepers. Doesn't make too many demands

Cost and Purchase
Legislation: You do not need CITES or transfer papers to own this snake.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. This can cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros in total. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, which is a few tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs are incurred when your snake happens to get sick or your equipment breaks down.