Florida Water Snake Head

Like cat eyes its eyes have slits.

Florida water snake head. Nerodia fasciata linnaeus 1766 the following will separate the two southern water snakes found in florida if you are unable to distinguish between them based on the characteristics in the key below you probably can do so using the geographic location alone. Unfortunately if you want to guarantee a snake free life then florida isn t the place for you. Here is a quick look at most of florida s snakes by pattern. A harmless snake the same length would be much more slender and would have a much longer thinner tail see below.

Brown water snakes are light tan with darker brown squares on the back giving a checkerboard appearance as opposed to the puzzle piece appearance of burmese pythons. Some are single uniform colors. The cottonmouth has a sharply angled head as most pit vipers do with a pit between its eyes and nostrils. Every spring the water snakes of florida genus nerodia slither out of their waterside trees to look for love around the state s countless freshwater coasts.

Head on out to any suburb and you ll encounter snakes regularly. Others have dark or light markings organized into stripes spots blotches or some other pattern. Different species of snake can often be distinguished by their characteristic color patterns. The snakes are harmless and venom.

A water snake has a slender body and small head with no distinct neck. 19 year old zamar miller said his life just flashed through my head after he was bitten on the foot by a venomous cottonmouth snake outside his florida home on july 4th. There are several harmless florida water snakes that look a bit like cottonmouths in both head shape and coloration. Greene told reuters that non venomous water snakes generally swim and float at the surface with only their head maybe also neck above the water with the rest of their bodies at least at a.

They also love to take up residence in parks golf courses or anywhere else that might be a little marshy or have a water source nearby. When threatened a water snake can flatten its head and body to create a shape similar to a cottonmouth but the head will. That is a defense mechanism for them. Notice that the head is also thick and blocky.

Florida snake identification key southern water snake. The head of water snakes is narrow and pointed in contrast to the broad triangular head of burmese pythons. Areas with no snakes in florida.