The only striped water snake normally occuring in a salt or brackish water habitat. There are two dark brown stripes and two tan or yellowish ones on each side of body. The very distinctive belly pattern consists of a central row of large white or yellow spots on a ground color of brown or reddish brown; in some specimens there is an extra, smaller row of light spots on each side, making 3 rows in all. Dorsal scale rows 21 or 23. Scales keeled; anal divided