The first snake was swimming through the flood waters at Pigeon Creek Park, over, around and under the mass of floating debris. It was his movement that attracted my attention, with his head just sticking out of the water and his long, narrow body trailing behind. He pulled up on a log and rested part of his body but kept a wary eye on me:
The second snake was at Eagle's Landing, where there weren't many trees to provide shade. As a result, you can see more of the pattern this second snake was sporting, unlike the first.
I'm not an expert on snakes, and have only done a little research on these. There's not much to go on. My best guess, based on the markings, is that both snakes were the fairly common Northern Water Snake. They cruise along shorelines and in backwaters eating as they go - fish, crawfish, baby turtles and even worms.
Northern Water Snakes are vicious, and are known to strike at and bite people repeatedly when disturbed or cornered - so keep your distance! They are not venomous, so washing the bites is the only treatment needed, but ouch! Snakes are not my favorite critters, but still - they do play a role in a healthy ecosystem.
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