The diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer) has a black net-like pattern along the back, with each spot being vaguely diamond or rhombus in shape. These dark blotches are connected on the sides by alternating dark bars, forming a reticulated or diamond-shaped pattern for which they get their common name. A species of non-venomous natricine colubrid endemic to the central United States and northern Mexico, it is found near slow-moving bodies of water such as streams, rivers, ponds, or swamps – predominantly along the Mississippi River valley. When foraging for food the diamondback water snake will hang on branches suspended over the water.
