We hadn’t thought of this vast swamp as being rattlesnake territory. We were surprised to encounter one in the Big Cypress Swamp while backpacking. They are found in coastal habitats on barrier islands, including the islands of the Florida Keys. We’ve encountered them in pine flatwoods, sandhills, scrub, and other habitats where open sand is common. Close-up of a coiled diamondback at the Jacksonville Zoo Because of their size, their rattle is quite distinctive. These snakes also coil up before striking. There are history museums in Florida that show off long diamondback skins and photos of men with dead diamondbacks as long as the men are tall. It was startling and fascinating to meet this 5-footer on the Florida Trail The state record holder was eight feet long. The largest of Florida’s venomous snakes, the diamondback used to be much more common than it is today.Įven in our youth, bounties were paid for these rattlesnakes because they were so easy to find, and so large.Ī diamondback rattlesnake can grow to a fearsome length.
From this distance we thought this was a cottonmouth on Prairie Creek. It also has white stripes behind its eyes. The cottonmouth has a sharply angled head, as most pit vipers do, with a “pit” between its eyes and nostrils. There are several harmless Florida water snakes that look a bit like cottonmouths in both head shape and coloration. Cottonmouth up close at the Jacksonville Zoo They will coil up and open their mouth to show off their fangs. The “cottonmouth” name comes from the white inside their throat that they exhibit when excited. Always be cautious of the edges of waterways when it comes to snakes. You can encounter them while swimming in a lake or spring.Įspecially if you are near a natural grassy shoreline with leaf litter and cypress knees. That’s not to say you won’t come across them in other places, particularly at the bases of trees or up in the trees themselves near flowing water.Ĭottonmouth at the base of a cypress treeĬottonmouths are excellent swimmers. In order of how likely you are to see them, these are the Florida snake species that can seriously harm you if you receive a venomous bite from them.Īlso called water moccasin, the cottonmouth is a highly aggressive snake that prefer swampy areas. That goes doubly so now that we have a long list of non-native snake species thriving in the Everglades and Big Cypress.
This one can hurt you.Ī general rule of thumb to avoid getting hurt by a snake is not to get close to one. Pygmy rattlesnake crossing the Florida Trail. But they only leave a nasty puncture wound. Other snakes, if you corner them, can also strike. They can also “dry strike,” injecting no venom. Venomous means these types of snakes can strike and release toxins into your bloodstream. Which you shouldn’t.įlorida has six venomous species of snakes. The important question, however, is will they harm you? Odds are lower than you think, especially if you don’t pick up snakes. Snakes eat rodents, which carry diseases.
One thing is for certain: if you hike in Florida, or spend much of any time outdoors in Florida, you will see snakes.
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