[2] Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Liodytes.

It spends most of its time hiding among dense vegetation in tannic cypress swamps.

L. pygaea feeds on small fish, tadpoles, frogs, salamanders, sirens, amphiumas, and invertebrates, such as leeches and earthworms.

The black swamp snake is ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young directly in shallow water.

Unlike many snakes, females feed actively while gravid, suggesting that they may pass nutrients directly on to the young.