Aquatic. Broad, irregular, dark crossbands. Background usually orangish. Belly light with irregular checkerboard of reddish rectangles. 
Arkansas Herpetological Atlas 2019
This species is represented by 555 records from 23 sources: 395 museum (
), 0 literature (
), 0 research (
), and 126 observation (
), with 34 additional Trauth et al. (2004) locality points remaining unsourced (
). It has been museum vouchered for 45 of 75 counties (), with 8 additional counties having other forms of reported occurrence (). Years of collection range from 1889 to present.
This species occurs throughout the South Central Plains and Mississippi Alluvial Plain, ascending river and stream valleys into portions of the Interior Highlands. Isolated localities plotted by Trauth et al. (2004) in the Ouachita Mountains, northern Faulkner County, and central Independence County remain unsourced. Records from Fulton County (ASUMZ 28835 from 2004) and Stone County (ASUMZ 601 from 1962) are highly suspect and warrant reexamination.
