Nerodia harteri

Taxobox
name = Brazos Water Snake
status = NT
status_system = IUCN3.1
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
subphylum = Vertebrata
classis = Reptilia
ordo = Squamata
subordo = Serpentes
familia = Colubridae
subfamilia = Natricinae
genus = "Nerodia"
species = "N. harteri"
binomial = "Nerodia harteri"
binomial_authority = Trapido, 1941
synonyms = "Natrix harteri"
Trapido, 1941

The Brazos Water Snake or Harter's Water Snake ("Nerodia harteri") is a species of mostly aquatic, non-venomous, colubrid snake native to the United States, only in north-central Texas along the Brazos River system. Due to its limited range, it is considered to be a threatened species in the state of Texas. The epithet "harteri" is in honor of Peter Harter, who collected the first specimen in Palo Pinto County in 1936.

Description

The Brazos Water Snake grows from 16 to 32 inches, and ranges in color from brown to olive green. It has two rows of spots that go down either side of its back, and has a pink or orange underside with dark spots down either side.

References

*EMBL species|genus=Nerodia|species=harteri
* [http://www.zo.utexas.edu/research/txherps/snakes/nerodia.harteri.html Herps of Texas: "Nerodia harteri"]
* [http://ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html Biographies of People Honored in the Herpetological Nomenclature of North America]