South Florida Yellow Rat Snake

Some of the most attractive rat snakes occur on the south side of lake okeechobee in the everglades region.

South florida yellow rat snake. In florida the rat snake occurs in the panhandle east of the apalachicola river and throughout the peninsula south to key largo however it does readily hybridize with the gray rat snake pantherophis spiloides in the panhandle. Yellow rat snake pantherophis alleghaniensis ssp. Our south florida yellow rat snakes descend from the sugar cane fields in the neighboring counties of glades hendry and palm. And finally yellow rat snakes from the south have stripes that are much narrower and lighter in color.

Different species of snake can often be distinguished by their characteristic color patterns. They are active at night during warmer weather during the day in cooler weather. Here is a quick look at most of florida s snakes by pattern. Northern species have poorly defined and dark stripes.

Top of the head b. Central area rat snakes have olive brown stripes. Classically these snakes have yellow irises and four barrow brown stripes that go down their backs. Weekly keeled scales range.

A young adult with stunning coloration. Quadrivittata in florida adult snakes commonly measure 90 to 180 cm 36 to 72 in in total length including tail with a few exceeding 200 cm 79 in. Coastal north and south carolina southward throughout peninsular florida. Underside of the head chin and throat c.

Baby yellow rat snakes look much different than the adult snake. Yellow rat snakes can burrow and they can swim. They also will congreage with other snakes emerging in the spring earlier down south later up north. Yellow rat snakes from the southern tip of their range tend to be more golden butter yellow overall and have lots of yellow highlights on the belly and under the chin compared to the tannish straw yellow colored yellow rat snakes from central and northern florida.

Rat snakes can grow to be six feet long 1 8 m. Some are single uniform colors. Up north yellow rat snakes spend winter by hibernating a suitable place will have ample southern exposure. For instance the color in stripes doesn t vary as much as it does in.

Florida snakes visual identification. Side of the head e. The most familiar rat snakes in the florida peninsula are the yellow rat snakes. They are long slim snakes with a head only slightly wider than their body.

Front face view of the head d. South florida yellow rat snake elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata. The yellow rat snake above the most common color morph in peninsula florida is typically yellowish with four brownish black stripes along the body. Others have dark or light markings organized into stripes spots blotches or some other pattern.