Florida Water Snake

Description:

Mainly a brown snake with predominantly white belly with yellow and tan marks along the side of the belly. Another distinguishing feature is the strange brown scaling on its head before blending into keeled grey scales and eventually tan and brown bands along the final 2/3 of the snake. My first guess is the Florida Water snake but I don't recognize the brown head scales. I don't have much experience with snake identification, yet I find them intriguing.

Habitat:

Sweetwater Wetlands Preserve is part of Payne's Prairie in Gainesville, FL. The snake was spotted in Wetland cell 1. The park's purpose is to remove nutrients, sediment, and trash from the creek and into the aquifer, according to the trail map info sheet.

Notes:

The snake was spotted on a clump of grass sunning along the boardwalk.