How do adult water snakes often appear compared to juveniles regarding their dark banding?

Answer

The dark bands often merge, making adults appear uniformly dark or black, especially when dry.

Juvenile water snakes display distinct reddish-brown saddles or bands; however, as they mature, these dark bands frequently merge together, causing the adults to look almost uniformly brown or black.

How do adult water snakes often appear compared to juveniles regarding their dark banding?
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