Seminatrix

The black swamp snake (Liodytes pygaea) is a species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States. There are three subspecies, including the nominotypical subspecies. Additional common names for L. pygaea include black swampsnake, mud snake, red-bellied mud snake, and swamp snake. The following three subspecies are recognized as being valid. Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Liodytes. L. pygaea is found in the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida on the east coast of the United States. L. pygaea prefers swampland habitat that is heavily vegetated. The black swamp snake is a small, thin snake, usually 25–38 cm (10–15 in) long (including tail); the record size is 55 cm (22 in). It is uniformly black on the dorsum, with a bright orange or red belly. The black swamp snake is almost entirely aquatic. It spends most of its time hiding among dense vegetation in tannic cypress swamps.