There are more than fifty types of Florida snakes that you would encounter in the beautiful sunshine state. Each of those types also has some variants as almost every species has some genetic and mutative tendencies that make them slightly or considerably different.

While there is no dearth of Florida snakes, you will not come across many venomous snakes in Florida. More than forty five types among the fifty odd snakes found in the sunshine state are actually non venomous snakes in Florida.

The known venomous snakes in Florida are the Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin), the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, the Timber or Canebrake Rattlesnake, the Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake, the Coral Snake and the Southern Copperhead.

  • The Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin has a heavy body. It is dark and has reddish brown cross-bands on a brownish skin. When these snakes get old, they tend to become darker and thus blacker. An adult cottonmouth is usually two to four feet in size.

    florida snakes
    The Fearsome Water Moccasin eating a Frog. Photo by Paul Wolf
  • The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake is also a heavy snake and is larger than the cottonmouth. The eastern diamondback is usually three to six feet in size. Characterized by its cream borders and brown centers, the eastern diamondback rattlesnake has a brownish or gray tail.
  • The Timber or Canebrake Rattlesnake is often confused with the eastern diamondback but they are different. The canebrake is also a large snake but it has reddish brown stripes along the center of its back. This is the unique attribute that makes it different from the diamondback. There are cross-bands, usually like chevron which are black and large. The timber or canebrake rattlesnake is usually three to five feet in size. It has a large head just behind the eyes or in a diagonal line with the eye.
  • The Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake is a small snake. It is two feet at its largest adult size, making it one of the smallest Florida snakes among the venomous ones. The pigmy rattlesnake has a triangle shaped head and has nine scales, quite large ones. Considering its length, the dusky rattlesnake is quite fat, or thick. Its natural body color is dark gray and the pigmentation of gray varies according to age.
  • The Coral Snake is also among the smaller venomous snakes in Florida. Its size ranges from a little less than two feet to about two and a half feet. It has black, red and yellow rings. The yellow rings are smaller that separate the larger black and red rings.

    Florida Snakes
    Coral Snake. Photo by Enrique Ramos Lopez
  • The Southern Copperhead has a stout body, gray or brown cross-bands and is at its largest about three feet in size.
Had any encounters with some beautiful Florida Snakes? Send us your experience or photos!

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