Neeru the Nerodia Sipedon

[infernalis]

If anyone remembers, I witnessed a gravid water snake fishing and eating. (she's a familiar sight back at camp, Chomper tried to catch her last summer)

She had her litter!! Saw her today (there is only one small pool of water, and it's all hers) and she has that deflated look typical of a female that just dropped her kids.

So I am walking along and wow, there is one of her babies just basking.

With this terrible drought we are experiencing, the outlook for these newborns is grim, so I made the decision that at least this one will not have to suffer, It's settling in right now, I'll offer some live minnows tomorrow.

I am still torn between just keeping it and feeding it until the water comes back, or making it a permanent resident.

So this is another first for me, I have never seen a neonate water snake in the wild that was roughly 24 hours old or less.

I'll get some pictures in a little while.

Thanks for reading my post.

[guidofatherof5]

Looking forward to seeing some photos.

[ProXimuS]

Looking forward to seeing some photos.

I second that:) Glad this little one's got a good spot for a little while, at least.

[infernalis]

I second that:) Glad this little one's got a good spot for a little while, at least.

one side of my brain says "don't mess with nature" the other side feels sorry for the babies and the elderly when these weather conditions exist.

[snake man]

You gotta do waht you gotta do.

[jaleely]

Hard choice! Needs pics to decide!!
hehe

[Light of Dae]

I say ...
1. Keep it, help the little guy out, give him(or her) a good life, spoil the thing rotten! lol
2. WE NEED PICTURES!
3. Find another baby and keep it too so at lest he/she has a buddie.
4. Still needing pictures here Wayne ....
5. IF it turns out you have a pair then breed them n release the babies(maybe not all...) to help out the wild population!
6. Do you even have to guess what else I'm going to say... It's going to be about a lack of pictures... and that we are still waiting for some ....? PICTURES!

:)

[chris-uk]

The mother has been around your place for a while, so obviously it's a good patch. If the summer is particularly harsh it would be a shame to risk not having a water snake around because of the bad weather. Give it a feed until the conditions improve, then you have a decision to make. :)

[EasternGirl]

I think you did the right thing taking them in. I agree with "don't mess with nature" but I also know that nature can be cruel sometimes...and I think that is our cue to intervene. I took Ziggy from a pretty nice habitat...but nice aside, he would have been eaten by foxes.

[infernalis]

I think you did the right thing taking them in. I agree with "don't mess with nature" but I also know that nature can be cruel sometimes...and I think that is our cue to intervene. I took Ziggy from a pretty nice habitat...but nice aside, he would have been eaten by foxes.

don't foxes deserve to eat too?

not trying to be a douche here, but I never mess with the food chain, otherwise I would be shooting crows all day long.

photos uploading in a moment..

[thamneil]

Congrats on the new addition. Summer here has been harsh as well. I would round up as many of the little tikes as I could and release them when conditions are favorable. Might as well keep one or two for your efforts. :)

[infernalis]

until I get my camera back, this cell phone pic will have to do..

http://www.thamnophis.co/2012/snake.jpg

[snake man]

Its cute how big will it get?

[infernalis]

will depend on gender. It's mother is at least 2 feet long. I kept a male for years until he passed and he was smallish.

They are about the same size as garter snakes.

[ProXimuS]

How little and pretty:)

[Invisible Snake]

Nice find! I doubt I would have been able to spot him out in the wild, he's so tiny.

[infernalis]

I got my camera back, so here is a couple picture of far higher quality. The little one is eating minnows without hesitation now.

http://www.thamnophis.co/nerodia/nerodia.jpg

http://www.thamnophis.co/nerodia/nerodia1.jpg

[snake man]

Those are really cool almost remind me a little of baby corns.

[ProXimuS]

Those markings really are pretty! I also like his rainbow cave:)

[thamneil]

Very different than garters for sure. Enjoy them!

[setfree]

Cool! I'm glad he's eating. you did the right thing just remember when it's time to make the decision just keep him or decide to keep putting it off!

[infernalis]

I have decided, My old water snake "Aqua" passed away early spring time. His scent glands swelled up and he died, he was old.

Maybe I'm being selfish, but I'm keeping the snake. It's already shown that it will be fine in captivity.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Do their care requirements differ from Thamnophis?

[infernalis]

Do their care requirements differ from Thamnophis?

Not at all.

Natricine Snake Phylogeography - Richard B. King Laboratory (http://www.bios.niu.edu/rking/lab/natricine_snake_phylogeo.html)

[infernalis]

It's name is Neeru.

5 brownie points to anyone but Stefan who figures out why.
:cool:
And Google will not be of any help.

[kibakiba]

First thought would be sounds close to "nerodia" but... That's the only thing I can think of.

[infernalis]

I may as well say it..

It's "water" in Kanarese, A language spoken in India.

and no I do not speak it, write in it nor understand it.

A nice lady in South Africa told me the word, and I liked it.

and the only reason I excluded a response from Stefan, is he's a linguist (or damn close)

[snake man]

Congratz I really like the way that water snakes look.

[ProXimuS]

Me too, I'm really starting to love water snakes:D

[Mommy2many]

You never gave me a chance....:)

Urban Dictionary: neeru (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=neeru)www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=neeru - Similarto Urban Dictionary: neeru (http://www.thamnophis.com/aol/search?s_it=similarPages.search&v_t=keyword_rollover&o_q=MEANING+OF+NEERU&q=related:www.urbandictionary.com%2Fdefine.php%3Ft erm%3Dneeru+MEANING+OF+NEERU)
Neeru means water adapted from the sanskrit word "neer" meaning water. there is lack of neeru in the deserts

[infernalis]

update:
Neeru is almost 12 inches long, Has grown to accept trout as well as live minnows.....


http://www.thamnophis.us/2013/neeru.jpg

[Greg'sGarters]

update:
Neeru is almost 12 inches long, Has grown to accept trout as well as live minnows.....


http://www.thamnophis.us/2013/neeru.jpg

That looks like an anerythristic lol. The ones here where I live are are more red in color.

[infernalis]

all of them here look a lot like him.

Here is mom in her "enclosure"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWCAoxNOmD4

[Greg'sGarters]

all of them here look a lot like him.

Here is mom in her "enclosure"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWCAoxNOmD4


I need to stop by your house sometime! :p

[thamneil]

Very nice! I'm looking forward to getting my group of sipedon this summer! Very nice snake!

He doesn't take to fillet or mice?

[infernalis]

Very nice! I'm looking forward to getting my group of sipedon this summer! Very nice snake!

He doesn't take to fillet or mice?

To small for mice yet (narrow head), and I won't ever buy fillet again, I get whole trout for a few dollars each.

[thamneil]

How do they compare to garter snakes in terms of care and attitude?

[infernalis]

How do they compare to garter snakes in terms of care and attitude?


Identical.

[guidofatherof5]

The bite radius and veracity of bite/chew can be different though:D

[Greg'sGarters]

How do they compare to garter snakes in terms of care and attitude?


I will say that with their bite is not fun but it's not that bad. They share the exact same care as garters but give them a bigger water bowl. Once a week I fill up a 10g with water and let them cruise around. Some water snakes are mean, some are nice. Personally, I use cypress mulch as the bedding for these guys.I also add some fake plants.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

That looks like an anerythristic lol. The ones here where I live are are more red in color.

Every one I have ever seen was born that color and they color up once they lose the majority of their baby pattern.

[ProXimuS]

So pretty:) Nice video of mama!

[infernalis]

Every one I have ever seen was born that color and they color up once they lose the majority of their baby pattern.

Close ups of the same snake in the video..

http://www.reptard.info/tuday/snake2.jpg

http://www.reptard.info/tuday/snake5.jpg

http://www.reptard.info/tuday/snake6.jpg

[ProXimuS]

Beautiful! In the last picture is there something wrong with her lip? Or is that just a piece of grass?

[infernalis]

Beautiful! In the last picture is there something wrong with her lip? Or is that just a piece of grass?


Good eye! She was getting really angry with me over this photo session, That pic was a split second before she struck at me for putting the camera in her face.

[ProXimuS]

lol I guess she was done with the photoshoot....

[Greg'sGarters]

Every one I have ever seen was born that color and they color up once they lose the majority of their baby pattern.

Where are you in PA? North, South East or West? I find babies that have slightly more color, not much more. But that one looks more charcoal-like than the ones I find. I find mine in southeast PA, in the Poconos.

[infernalis]

She's a completely wild specimen that has been living in the water hole behind my house for a couple years now.

Even had the rare opportunity to sit in the fading light of dusk and watch her slay fish once.

I truly hope for some more sightings this season.

One of my monitor lizards almost got her back in 2011.

it's about 40 seconds into the video.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ab-Rohb7L4

[ProXimuS]

That was close! I'm surprised the snake stayed so close for so long.

[guidofatherof5]

Nice video Wayne.