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Banded Water Snake Nerodia fasciata pictiventris Description: to 5 feet; adult (top photo): dark heavy body with reddish vertical bands; bands become less noticeable with age; lower jaw is whitish with dark "tortoise shell" pattern; thin dark stripe from eye to corner of mouth; when disturbed, it can flatten its body giving the head a triangular shape so it looks like a Water Moccasin, and when cornered will defend itself by striking and biting; it is NOT poisonous; immature (bottom photo): dark heavy body with white spots in addition to bands; Food: mostly small fish but also frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders; during dry downs, frequently forms loop with body in shallow water, trapping small fish inside loop where it can catch them easier Habitat: always around water, preferring shallow still areas; will sun on top of water lettuce, cypress knees, and fallen logs near the water Range: peninsular Florida into southeastern Georgia Breeding: anywhere from nine to almost five dozen young born live from June through August Similarities: frequently mistaken for Water Moccasin (Cottonmouth); moccasin has wider vertical bands on body, a very wide dark stripe around and through the eye, and no "tortoise shell pattern" on the lower jaw; the moccasin also has a protruding ridge over the eye and a much more angular jaw line, giving the head a definite triangular appearance from above Other common names: Florida Water Snake, Florida Banded Water Snake |
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Black Racer Coluber constrictor priapus Description: to 6 feet; adult (top photo): very slender body; gun-metal black above and below except for a clear white to cream colored chin and a little down the underside (bottom photo); from the top it appears to be all black; reddish eyes; immature (middle photo): slender, dark on top with spots along side; newborn are a mottled white and reddish-brown; both newborn and immature have the white chin; each time it sheds, it becomes blacker and turns completely black when it gets to about 2-1/2 feet in length Food: small rodents, frogs, toads, lizards, birds, and other snakes; in spite of the scientific name "Coluber constrictor," it does not kill prey by constriction but swallows it live Habitat: frequently near water but also in brush, trash piles, roadsides, swamps, suburbia; it is the most common snake in residential neighborhoods where it preys on mice and rats; it spends most of its time on the ground, but it's a good tree climber and may be found in shrubs and trees where the calls of birds draw attention to it; a fast agile snake, its first option when threatened is to flee, but if cornered, it will coil and shake its tail trying to resemble a rattlesnake although it has no rattles, then it will strike and will bite Range: Florida mainland and the lower Keys Breeding: lays up to 25-30 eggs in soil or rotten wood during June and July; hatchlings emerge in late July to September Similarities: the Eastern Indigo Snake is also all black but much larger and heavy-bodied; the Black Swamp Snake has a vivid red underside; the Striped Crayfish Snake is black only on the very top and tan on the side and underside; the Eastern Mud Snake is a coral color with dark splotches on the underside and chin Other common names: Southern Black Racer |
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Bluestripe Garter Snake Thamnophis sirtalis similis Description: to 4 feet; single stripe down the top and prominent pale blue stripe/coloration down each side; scales keeled (they stand out a little) giving it a rough look Food: toads, frogs, fish, and other small aquatic animals; will also eat mice and young birds when the opportunity presents itself Habitat: frequently found near water, although not a true water snake Range: peninsular Florida Breeding: up to eight dozen live young from June through September Similarities: Eastern Garter Snake tends to be turquoise or blue-green with light stripes and black spots arranged in rows down its side rather than the light blue; Peninsula Ribbon Snake is much smaller and more slender, has a longer tail, and lacks the spots between the stripes |
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Eastern Indigo Snake Drymarchon corais couperi Description: to 8 1/2 feet, the largest North American snake; large heavy bodied snake; all black above and pale bluish-white below; scales have dark blue iridescence which is most noticeable just after shedding; sometimes its chin can be reddish; it has two speeds -- slow and food; Food: toads, frogs, rodents, other snakes including venomous ones, birds; it grabs the prey in very strong, powerful jaws, drapes its heavy body over the prey to hold it still, and then swallows it alive Habitat: moist areas in pine woods, dry glades, hummocks, flatwoods; it is a burrower and frequently shares Gopher Tortoise and other burrows and with rattlesnakes and other animals Range: all of Florida including lower Keys Breeding: lays 5-11 eggs in April or May Notes: the Eastern Indigo Snake is listed as a THREATENED species and its populations are dwindling due to overcollecting and habitat destruction; it is illegal to capture or own the snake without a permit from Florida Fish & Game, and it cannot be sold commercially |
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Peninsula Ribbon Snake Thamnophis sauritus sackeni Description: to 3 feet; a very thin relative of garter snakes; color varies, but it's usually brownish to green on top with a tan stripe down the back and one on each side, and white or very pale on the underside; the orangish eyes seem large compared to the small head; it has a long thin tail that is up to 1/4 of its total length Food: insects, frogs, small fish, salamanders, and other small pond creatures Habitat: marshes, shores, stream edges, swamps near water; it's semi-aquatic, and climbs in shrubs and other low vegetation; it's frequently seen basking in vegetation near water and on the boardwalk railing near water Range: all of peninsular Florida Breeding: up to 20 live young in July to August Similarities: the Eastern and Bluestripe Garter Snakes are larger and thicker and have spotting along the sides Other names: Southern Ribbon Snake |
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Pigmy Rattlesnake Sistrurus miliarius barbouri Description: to around 20 inches; usually gray with black blotches on its back and sides; sometimes there is an orange stripe down its back beneath the black blotches; it has tiny rattles at the end of its tail, but they are so small that they're barely audible and they frequently break off; a black stripe runs back from the eye; when basking, it may look as though it has "spread out" or flattened its body Food: mice, lizards, frogs, small birds Habitat: wet or moist locations, grass or woodlands, abandoned buildings, weedy areas around the bases of trees; can climb and might be found in boots and fronds of cabbage palms Range: all of Florida except the Keys Breeding: up to 30 live young in August to September Other names: Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake Notes: its venom is very potent, but because of the snake's small size, it delivers a very small dose; the bite is unlikely to cause death but it can cause tissue destruction and infection as well as intense swelling and pain |
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Red Rat Snake Elaphe guttata guttata Description: normally to about 4 feet, but some longer ones have been found; there are many color "phases" of the Red Rat Snake; the most familiar is bright reddish-orange saddle-shaped blotches on a reddish-brown to brownish-yellow background; however, a gray phase exists in Southwest Florida where the saddle-shaped blotches are brownish and the background is a grayish-brown Food: mice and rats which are killed by constriction and then swallowed head first Habitat: the Red Rat Snake is a ground snake but it can climb; it is most active at night and can be found in both wet and dry wooded areas including around houses where it eliminates rats and mice Range: all of Florida Breeding: lays up to 21 eggs in June to July Similarities: the Yellow Rat Snake is yellow with brown horizontal stripes and no blotches Other names: Corn Snake |
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Ringneck Snake Diadophis punctatus punctatus Description: to 12 inches; Ringneck Snakes are small, pencil-sized snakes; black or dark gray back and sides; yellowish to reddish ring around the neck with a very small break right at the top; underside varies from creamish to rich yellow becoming more orangish near the tail Food: earthworms, slugs, amphibians, small lizards, newborn snakes Habitat: under bark or logs in woods; near water; frequently found around houses and gardens under mulch and leaf litter; it's totally harmless Range: all of Florida Breeding: lays up to 10 eggs in June to August; eggs hatch August to September Other names: Southern Ringneck Snake |
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Rough Green Snake Opheodrys aestivus Description: to 3 feet; the Rough Green Snake is the only thin bright-green snake in Florida; bright green above and yellow to yellowish-green below; long narrow tail; called "Rough" Green Snake because scales keeled (they stand out a little) Food: crickets, grasshoppers, spiders, small invertebrates Habitat: bushes, small trees, vines; great climbers, they are rarely on the ground; Range: all of Florida Breeding: lays up to 12 hard eggs July to August which hatch August to September; eggs are "adhesive," sticking to the surface where they were laid |
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Water Moccasin Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti Description: to 6 1/2 feet; a large, heavy-bodied pit viper with a large triangular head; coloration varies -- older moccasins tend to be uniformly black or brown (photo at top); young are usually banded with a dark color on a tan to orangish background (middle photo) and look similar to Copperhead, but Copperhead range doesn't extend to Southwest Florida; a wide, dark stripe on head runs through the eye and there is a ridge extension that extends over eye (bottom photo); threat posture includes opening mouth, which is all white (hence the name "cottonmouth"); swims with head out of water; Food: mostly frogs, but also fish, other amphibians, small mammmals and turtles, and other snakes Habitat: mostly around rivers, streams, ponds, or other water, but also in pine woods and other dry habitats; basks on fallen log or rock or sometimes roads near canals or water; they don't really like clear open rivers and lakes but prefer to stay in murkier water Range: all of Florida Breeding: up to 15 born live in August to October Similarities: other water snakes don't have the broad, triangular head and the ridges over the eyes which make them invisible from above; no other water snakes also have the wide dark band along the side of the head through the eye Notes: very venomous bite, and aggressive when approached; doesn't strike as often in the water as on land because can't get the leverage for a good strike, but it will do so if accidentally stepped on Other names: Cottonmouth, Florida Cottonmouth |
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Yellow Rat Snake Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata Description: to 7 feet; dull golden-yellow with four broad dark stripes running horizontally (the length of its body); the juvenile Yellow Rat Snake has blotches rather than stripes but it is still yellowish; yellowish-orange eyes and black tongue Food: mostly rats, but also birds, squirrels and other small mammals; a powerful constrictor Habitat: trees, shrubs, hollow logs, stumps in both dry and wet woodlands; also an able swimmer (bottom photo); the best tree-climbing snake in Florida Range: most of peninsular Florida and Keys Breeding: up to 40 eggs in June to July in hollows in logs or sometimes earth cavities; eggs hatch in late August to October |
