Banded water snake

Anonymous Author

Collection: A Literary Field Guide to the Swamp, Book 4

August 2, 2026

Prompt:

Nerodia Fasciata

Biological Overview

Habitat
Freshwater ecosystems rural to North Carolina and the coast of S.C

Diet
Salamanders Tadpoles Fish and frogs

Role in Ecosystem

Predator but the alligator eats the banded water snake most of the time

Behavior
When threatened it flattens its body and releases a foul musk

Human Impact

Destroys its home and we kill it because some think its venomous

Creative Overview

I live in freshwater lakes but my role is not fake. I hunt for prey when I’m hungry and I never lay. When I see a human but their phones can see what I look like.

Matthew Bruner, Brooks Reynolds, Homer Barry

Book 4

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Tags

Pee Dee/ Grand Strand

Anonymous Author

This fellow Communal Pen-er has chosen not to share their personal information by remaining anonymous. In Communal Pen workshops, sharing is always optional, as is sharing your name with your writings. We appreciate the courage it takes to share our stories, whether or not we add our names to them or not. If you feel that this is your writing and would like to add your name, leave a comment or contact our team directly at communalpen@coastal.edu. Thank you, and happy writing!