Depending on your point of view,Florida is either blessed or cursedwith a rich diversity of snakes. Our44 species of snakes are found inevery conceivable habitat, fromcoastal mangroves and salt marshesto freshwater wetlands and dryuplands, and many species thrive inresidential areas. Therefore, you canexpect to encounter snakesoccasionally wherever you live ortravel in Florida.

Many people have negativeattitudes toward snakes because ofsuperstitions or folklore that have nobasis in fact. In reality, snakes causefew problems, and many arebeneficial in reducing populations ofrodents and other pests. Since just sixof Florida’s snake species arevenomous, and only four of these are

Florida’s NonvenomousSnakes

By Craig N. Huegel and David G. Cook

widespread, the snakes you encounterare most likely to be nonvenomous.This article introduces some of themost commonly seen nonvenomousFlorida snakes.

What are snakes, anyway? Far frombeing slimy and wormlike, snakes arereptiles and, like lizards, turtles andcrocodilians, are covered with hard,dry scales. They are bony, too, andthe secret to their slithering abilitylies in the complex coordination ofribs, muscles and broad belly scalesthat propel them fluidly in search offood or shelter. Snakes are strictlycarnivores; they must find, subdueand eat other animals to survive. Theways they accomplish this withoutthe benefit of arms and legs are awe-inspiring.

While having no legs is an obvious,common characteristic, snake speciesdiffer in many ways, such as food andhabitat preferences, behavior whenconfronted and reproductive habits.About half of Florida’s snakes givebirth to live young while the otherslay eggs. The number of young oreggs differs greatly among species,but most newly born or hatchedsnakes appear by late summer.

There are just a few species that arecommonly seen in developed areas,although any snake may occasionallybe found in urban settings. Byrecognizing common nonvenomoussnakes and understanding somethingof their habits, you can take a morerelaxed attitude toward them andappreciate them as an integral part ofFlorida’s wildlife.

SOUTHERN RINGNECK SNAKE (Diadophis punctatus punctatus) Jim Merli

Racer and Coachwhip

One of Florida’s most familiarsnakes is the “blacksnake” or, moreproperly, the southern black racer.Aptly named for its coloration andspeed, the black racer is common in awide variety of habitats, mostfrequently in brush- or shrub-coveredareas near water.

The adult racer is a slender, satinysnake, plain black or slate gray with awhite or gray chin and throat.Maximum length is about 70 inches,but most are 36–60 inches long.Persons otherwise familiar withsnakes are often “stumped” by youngblack racers, which are colored verydifferently from the adults. For a yearafter hatching, racers are slate graywith regular rusty brown blotchesrunning down the back. Black racersshouldn’t be mistaken for thethreatened eastern indigo snakes,which also are large, shiny and black.Indigos are much heavier, often havea rusty or red chin and throat, and aremuch more local in distribution.

Black racers are nervous, irritableand fast-moving. When given achance to escape, they generally doso very quickly. However, racers,especially juveniles, will not hesitateto bite when cornered. They alsovibrate their tails when they feelthreatened, causing some people tomistake them for rattlesnakes.

Unlike many snakes, the black racerhunts actively during daylight hours,

one reason why they are frequentlynoticed. The eyes, with their rich,chestnut-brown irises, are large inrelation to its head, betraying theracer’s keen vision.

Part of the racer’s success is due toits wide diet; they have been referredto as “slithering garbage pails.”Racers capture a tremendous varietyof animals, including other snakes,lizards, frogs, birds, rodents andinsects. While hunting in open areas,the racer often raises its head highabove the ground, cobra-style, tosurvey its surroundings better.

Many of these characteristics areshared with the racer’s larger cousin,the eastern coachwhip. This snakecan be over 8 feet long and frequentsdry, open habitats including pineflatwoods, sandhill and scrub. It’s anactive hunter and quick to bite in self-defense. Typically, its head and frontquarter of the body are black to darkbrown, which fades to light tan on theremainder of the body and tail.

Rat Snakes

There are only two species of ratsnake native to Florida, but they areso variable in color and pattern you’dthink there were many more. The redrat or “corn” snake is the only large,red-orange snake likely to beencountered in developed areas ofFlorida. Because of its color, thissnake is frequently mistaken for thedissimilar, venomous copperhead.

Actually, the copperhead is rare inFlorida and found only in the heavilytimbered counties flanking theApalachicola River.

The red rat snake varies in color butusually is some shade of yellowish-tan to orange, with a row of large,dark-edged red or rusty blotchesdown the center of the back. Theblack-and-white belly resembles apiano keyboard.

The other species of rat snake hasseveral names to match itsappearance, which varies in differentparts of the state. Young of thisspecies are gray with irregular darkergray blotches on the back. In thepanhandle, the adults retain this colorpattern and are known as the gray rator “white oak” snake. Throughoutmost of the peninsula, however, theadults are orangish with four narrow,brown stripes running the length ofthe body. These are commonly calledyellow rat or “chicken” snakes.

The red rat snake may grow to alength of 72 inches, but averages30–48 inches. The gray and yellowrat snakes may reach a body length of84 inches, but those most commonlyseen are 42–72 inches. Both speciesare found throughout Florida inalmost every habitat, but are shy andsecretive, spending most of their timein trees, under brush and mulch piles,or inside old buildings and otherstructures. Rat snakes are the bestclimbers of Florida’s snakes, thanksto powerful constricting muscles and

RED RAT or CORN SNAKE(Elaphe guttata)

YELLOW RAT SNAKE(Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata)

GRAY RAT SNAKE(Elaphe obsoleta spiloides)

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specially edged belly scales that theypress into tiny irregularities in orderto climb vertically up tree trunks andother surfaces.

Young rat snakes feed mostly onlizards and frogs, but adults graduateto rodents and birds, which they killby constriction. They are quite usefulin controlling rats and mice. In latespring to early summer, females layup to 30 eggs, which hatch in mid- tolate summer. Rat snakes tame easily,but will defend themselvesaggressively when cornered. Whenthreatened, they may also vibratetheir tails rapidly.

Kingsnake

The kingsnake is a large, powerfulsnake found throughout mainlandFlorida in a variety of habitats, oftennear water. Although normallybetween 36 and 48 inches, it isknown to reach 82 inches in length.

The kingsnake color pattern variesalmost as dramatically as that of therat snakes. In north Florida, most arethe eastern kingsnake variety, whichis shiny black with narrow crossbandsof white or light yellow. Most centraland south Florida specimens are theFlorida kingsnake variety, with manyindistinct crossbands on a yellow andblack “salt and pepper” background.Some populations are intermediatelyspeckled or blotched, but all varietieshave the distinctive kingsnake chinmarked by black and yellow.

The kingsnake is an egg-layingconstrictor, feeding primarily onrodents, birds and reptiles. Itsreputation as the “king of snakes”probably stems from its fondness foreating other snakes, includingrattlesnakes and other pit vipers,whose venom does not harm thekingsnake. Persons not keen abouthaving many snakes on their propertyshould be careful to safeguard theirlocal kingsnakes!

Hognose Snakes

The eastern and southern hognosesnakes are two of Florida’s leastoffensive, yet most malignednonvenomous snakes, due to theirappearance and exaggerateddefensive stunts. Hognose snakes arefound in upland habitats and preferdry, sandy woods and fields. Theeastern hognose is found throughoutmainland Florida while the southernhognose occurs only in the northernhalf.

Both hognose snakes are ratherstout-bodied and have alternatingbrown and tan or yellow blotches,although some eastern hognoses aresolid black above, with no sign ofpattern. Young hognose snakes, whichhatch in summer or fall, are gray withblack markings. Eastern hognosesmay reach 45 inches, but commonlyare 20–23 inches long; the southernhognose never exceeds 24 inches. Thepeculiar upturned snout, which is

most dramatic in the southernhognose, is specially designed fordigging out toads, their major prey.

Many types of nonvenomous snakesare killed by Floridians each year outof fear or ignorance, but hognoses,because of their defensive antics, aremore likely to be targeted. Whenalarmed, hognose snakes will hiss,puff and jerk about, raise their head,and flatten their neck into aconvincing, cobra-like hood. Theymay even strike but don’t open theirmouth. If this doesn’t frighten awaytheir attacker, they then thrash about,spew out a foul-smelling musk, rollover, and play dead, often with themouth open and tongue dragging onthe ground. Despite the hognose’sdramatic display to ward off attack,the strategy backfires with people and the harmless snakes are oftenkilled.

In contrast, the smaller but similarlypatterned pigmy rattlesnake will coil,strike and bite savagely if molested.Pigmy rattlers do not have the sharplyupturned nose of the hognose snakesand possess a tiny rattle that makes abarely audible buzzing sound.

Garter and Ribbon Snakes

In Florida, any snake you coulddescribe as “striped” isnonvenomous, and the most familiarare probably the garter and ribbonsnakes. These closely related speciesare common in a variety of habitats,

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Although the scarlet kingsnake (l) (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides)and northern scarlet snake (r) (Cemophora coccinea copei) resemble thevenomous coral snake, they are harmless. In contrast, the coral snake has ablack snout, not red. Its red bands are bordered by yellow, not black.

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EASTERN COACHWHIP(Masticophis flagellum flagellum)

GARTER SNAKE(Thamnophis sirtalis)

RIBBON SNAKE(Thamnophis sauritus)

REDBELLY WATER SNAKE(Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster)

BANDED WATER SNAKE(Nerodia fasciata fasciata)

EASTERN MUD SNAKE(Farancia abacura abacura)

BROWN WATER SNAKE(Nerodia taxispilota)

ROUGH GREEN SNAKE(Opheodrys aestivus)

FLORIDA PINE SNAKE(Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus)

SOUTHERN BLACK RACER(Coluber constrictor priapus)

EASTERN KINGSNAKE(Lampropeltis getula getula)

FLORIDA KINGSNAKE(Lampropeltis getula floridana)

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mostly near water or wet areas.Garter snakes are quite variable incolor. They may be black, brown orgreenish on a backgroundcheckerboard of small black spots,and most individuals have threeobvious stripes on the back and sidesrunning the length of the body. Thesestripes may be green, blue, yellow ortan. Garter snakes are fairly slender;their maximum length is about 48inches, but most are 18–26 inches.

Ribbon snakes are colored similarlyto garter snakes, but usually lack thebackground checkerboard pattern,and the back stripe may be faint orabsent. As the name implies, ribbonsnakes are exceedingly slender, anddon’t grow longer than 40 inches.They are excellent climbers, oftentaking refuge in low shrubs.

Large garter snakes may eat smallrodents, but their common dietconsists of worms, minnows, frogsand toads. They often are quiteaggressive when cornered and expel afoul-smelling musk when handled.Ribbon snakes feed mostly on smallfish, frogs and lizards. They arequick-moving and nervous, preferringto flee when given any chance to doso. Ribbon snakes rarely bite, but dorelease a strong-smelling musk whenhandled. Both species bear liveyoung.

Water Snakes and “Moccasins”

Some people mistakenly call allsnakes they see near water “watermoccasins,” but only the cottonmouthwater moccasin is venomous. Most ofthe snakes seen along Florida riversand lake edges are harmless watersnakes. There is ample room forconfusion, however, since bothcottonmouths and water snakes maybe very dark with rough scales, mayattain lengths over 4 feet, and can berelatively thick-bodied.

Water snakes are distinguishedfrom venomous cottonmouths bytheir behavior and their “face.”Cottonmouths tend to stay put whenencountered, often coiled and, ifsufficiently harassed, will give theopen-mouth display that gives themtheir name. Harmless water snakes,

which commonly bask stretched outon tree branches over water, are morelikely to seek immediate escape intothe water when encountered. Also,cottonmouths usually swim with theirentire body on top of the water,whereas water snakes are more likelyto escape underwater or swim withonly their head at the surface.

The face of a cottonmouth has amore “sinister” appearance due to thebroad scale that protrudes like a shelfabove each eye. Its head has anangular, “chiseled” aspect, andFlorida cottonmouths always have adark brown band that runs across theside of the head through the eye. Thenonvenomous water snakes have noprotruding scales over the eyes, sothey appear more “bug-eyed,” and thehead typically has a more roundedaspect.

Four of the largest and mostcommonly seen water snakes include

the plainbelly, banded, brown andFlorida green water snakes. Theplainbelly water snake frequents thebanks of large rivers in the panhandleand northern peninsula (SuwanneeRiver drainage), whereas the otherthree are common in rivers, lakes andponds statewide. All are proficienthunters of fish, frogs and otheraquatic animals and have long teethfor holding slippery prey. Thus,harmless water snakes, notorious forfiercely defending themselves,typically bite and draw blood whencaptured. Although nonvenomous,such bites are painful and, like allanimal bites, should be washedthoroughly to avoid infection. Watersnakes bear their young alive andsometimes abundantly; Florida greenwater snakes can have litters as largeas 100!

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EASTERN HOGNOSE SNAKE (Heterodon platirhinos) in defensiveposture.

EASTERN HOGNOSE SNAKE playing dead.

Ringnecks and Other LittleSnakes

All the snakes discussed so far arerelatively large, but the most abundantsnakes in Florida are seldom more than12 or 14 inches long. Althoughcommon in most gardens andbackyards, these diminutive snakespecies are easily overlooked due totheir secretive habits.

A good representative is the southernringneck snake, a distinctive littlesnake that is shiny black or dark grayabove, with a bright orange or yellowneck ring. The belly is a startlinglybright orange or yellow with a row ofblack half-moons down the center.Ringnecks spend most of their livesunder mulch or leaf litter, where theyfeed on small lizards, earthworms,slugs and salamanders. They are fairlysocial and often are found in groups oftwo or three. The ringneck is one of theleast aggressive animals in the worldand almost never attempts to bitepeople. Even if it should try to bite, itsmouth and teeth are too small to causea wound. When seriously threatened,ringnecks defend themselves bythrashing about and expelling musk.The four to seven eggs laid inmidsummer hatch 40–50 days later intotiny snakelings, only 4 inches long!

What To Do When You See aSnake

What should you do when you comeupon a snake? Just stand back andobserve it. Snakes don’t purposefullyposition themselves to frighten people.They’d much rather avoid encountersand usually will flee. You can try tofigure out what kind it is by using thisarticle or one of the other referenceslisted.

There is no good reason to kill asnake except in the unlikely situationof a venomous snake posing immediatedanger to people or pets. Snakesusually bite people only if they aremolested; it’s their only means of self-defense. Even a venomous snake in thewoods or crossing the road poses nothreat and should be left alone. Also,most larger snakes travel in large areas,so one you see in your yard today maybe far away tomorrow.

This Agency does not allow discrimination by race, color, nationality, sex, or handicap. If youbelieve you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facility of this agency, writeto: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 S. Meridian St., Tallahassee, FL 32399-1600, or to Office for Human Relations, USFWS, Dept. of Interior, Washington, D.C. 20240

Other small but abundant Florida snakes include the Florida brown, Floridaredbelly, smooth earth, rough earth, pine woods and Florida crowned snakes.

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FLORIDA CROWNED SNAKE (Tantilla relicta)

REDBELLY SNAKE (Storeria occipitomaculata)

For Further ReadingA brochure with photos and information about the six venomous snakes inFlorida, titled “Florida’s Venomous Snakes,” is available from the regionaloffices of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. To find outmore about the snakes in our area, we recommend the following books:

Amphibians of Eastern and CentralNorth America. Third edition,expanded. By Roger Conant andJoseph T. Collins. 1998. HoughtonMifflin, Boston (Peterson FieldGuide Series). 450pp.

Florida’s Snakes: A Guide to TheirIdentification and Habitats. By R.D. Bartlett and Patricia P. Bartlett.2003. University Press of Florida,Gainesville. 182pp.

A Field Guide to Snakes ofFlorida. By Alan Tennant. 1997.Gulf Publishing, Houston. 257pp.

A Field Guide to the Reptiles andAmphibians of Florida. Part One:The Snakes. Second edition. ByRay E. Ashton Jr. and Patricia S.Ashton. 1988. Windward, Miami.176pp.

Revised 2004