This thick-bodied snake is quite variable in color and pattern.
Background color ranges from light gray to dark brown.
It is almost always patterned with reddish-brown, brown or black crossbands near the head and alternating back and side blotches farther down the body. The pattern generally becomes less noticeable as the water snake grows larger, and often results in a uniformly dark snake. Body scales are strongly keeled and the belly is patterned with black or orange crescents. Courtship and mating typically occur in May and June, and females give birth to 20-40 young in August and September. True to their name, water snakes are found in a variety of wet habitats including lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and wetlands.