Okefenokee Photography by William Wise. A nature photo journal exploration of Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, the Land of Trembling Earth, one of the largest blackwater swamps in North America. The alligators, birds, snakes and wildlife of Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. -- "What a wildly wonderful world, God! You made it all, with Wisdom at Your side, made earth overflow with your wonderful creations." Psalms 104 The Message While enjoying a slow paddle up the Suwannee River Middle fork through the heart of the Okefenokee Swamp, somehow my daughter spotted this Brown Watersnake sunning out over the water. It so perfectly blended in with the tangled branches that it would have passed just three feet from my face without me ever noticing it! The Brown Watersnake, Nerodia taxispilota, one of several species of Nerodia found in the southeastern United States. It is probably the snake that I most frequently encounter while paddling the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. According tot he Savannah River Ecology Lab, “they are most common in flowing water such as rivers, canals, and blackwater cypress creeks. While other watersnakes in our region (banded and red-bellied) are frequently found in temporary wetlands and ditches, the brown watersnake’s preference for fish as prey makes them largely restricted to permanent water bodies, including large reservoirs. Additionally, they travel less over land than other watersnakes and are seldom observed far from the water’s edge. Ideal habitat includes abundant overhanging vegetation, emergent snags, or rocky river banks where snakes may bask.” (source: https://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/nertax.htm) Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Georgia. Sunday, April 16, 2023.
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