The group also conducted a conservation study of the area to determine what other reptiles live there. We chose six of the healthiest males and 10 of the females who looked like they were pregnant. Another interesting feature is they constrict their prey before eating it. Ford also said the snakes were easy to handle. I would pick them up, and they would just lay in my hand.
Water snakes tend to be nasty.
The female water snakes are unusual because they can change their reproductive process from laying eggs to giving live birth, depending on environmental conditions. These reptiles live in colder climates where embryos inside the mother develop faster than those in eggs. The mother's body temperature changes to adapt to its surroundings. Only 15 species of reptiles have this ability, with few snakes possessing the characteristic, Cox said. If there's a flood or it's wet, the eggs will go bad.