A Northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon) at the edge of a pond, photographed in Mount Kisco, NY. Many thanks to everyone in the comments who helped with the identification!
Thanks, Tai. My first guess would be a garter, they appear to be the most common in suburban NY/NJ, but I would rather ask than try to identify an animal when I'm not sure.
It would have to be Nerodia sipedon; it's the only one found in that area. Banding on the lower jaw is also found on (at least) Thamnophis couchii and a few other colubroids that I know of; but the eye and nasal opening locations hint towards Nerodia and it's location means it is most likely N. sipedon.
Looks Neroida-ish but I'm rubbish with american snakes.
Or even Nerodia-ish - see, told you I was rubbish. After these two comments it'll inevitably turn out to be a garter.
Thanks, Tai. My first guess would be a garter, they appear to be the most common in suburban NY/NJ, but I would rather ask than try to identify an animal when I'm not sure.
Tai's right--see the dark banding on the lower jaw? Nerodia.
Definately Nerodia. Is there anything besides N. sipedon in NJ?
It's a picture of duckweed. Oh, there's an animal in the middle. Yawn. I hardly noticed.
Looks like a Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) to me
It would have to be Nerodia sipedon; it's the only one found in that area. Banding on the lower jaw is also found on (at least) Thamnophis couchii and a few other colubroids that I know of; but the eye and nasal opening locations hint towards Nerodia and it's location means it is most likely N. sipedon.
Nice picture.
Thanks for all the help, everyone! It seems that Nerodia sipedon is the consensus, so I will amend the original entry.