Broad-Banded Watersnake

Family: 
Colubridae (nonvenomous snakes) in the order Squamata (lizards and snakes)
Description: 

A beautiful semiaquatic snake that is named for the broad, irregular shaped bands along the back. These bands can be brown, red-brown, or black and are separated by yellow and gray. Like other watersnakes, broad-banded watersnakes are often mistaken for western cottonmouths and needlessly killed. Watersnakes bite viciously to defend themselves and also secrete a strong-smelling musk from glands at the base of the tail.

Size: 
Length averages from 22 to 36 inches (56-91 cm).
Habitat and conservation: 
They are often seen basking on logs or among branches above the water in cypress swamps, river sloughs or oxbow lakes.
Distribution in Missouri: 
Restricted to the southeastern corner of the state.