florida venomous snakes...vipers but bites and chews to inject its poison. most bites occur when a...

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For more information about sustainability & the enviroment please visit. • FloridaFish&WildlifeConservation Commission www.floridaconservation.org

• SustainabilityAlliance http://sustainabilityalliance.ucf.edu

• FloridaMuseumofNaturalHistory www.flmnh.ufl.edu

4000CentralFloridaBlvd.Orlando,FL32816

Phone:(407)823-3146E-mail:nature@mail.ucf.edu

www.green.ucf.edu

CottonMouth

Thecottonmouthmoccasinisapitviperwithoutrattles.MostFloridaspecimensaverageaboutthreefeet.Itoccurscommonlyineverycountyinthestateandonmanycoastalislands.Colorpatternofthecottonmouthvariesfromolive-browntoblack,withorwithoutdarkcrossbandsonthebody.Itisstoutbodiedwithanabruptlytaperingtail,andabroadheadmuchwiderthantheneck.Oftenwhendisturbeditdrawsintoaloosecoil,cocksitsheadupwardsandopensitsmouthwidetorevealthewhitishinteriorlining,hencethenamecottonmouth.Fromthisloose-coiledstance,itlungesoutinafaststriketoembeditspoisoncarryingfangs.Itdoesnothavetobecoiledtostrike,butcandeliverabitefromalmostanyposition,eitherinoroutofthewater.Awatersnake,thecottonmouthisfoundalongstreambanks,inswamps,marginsoflakesandintree-borderedmarshes.BabyCottonmouthsareboldlymarkedwithreddish-browncrossbandsandbrightyellowtails.Atthisstagetheycanbemistakenforcopperheads.

Florida Venomous Snakes

OfficeHours:OpenMonday-Friday

8am-5pmNaturalLandHours:

Open7daysaweekfromsunrisetosunset

CoralSnake

Thecoralsnake’svenomisthemostpotentofanyofNorthAmerica’ssnakes.Thecoralisshyandsecretive,seldomaggressiveunlessstartled,tormentedorhurt.Ithasshortfangsandasmallmouth.Itdoesnotstrikelikethepitvipersbutbitesandchewstoinjectitspoison.Mostbitesoccurwhena“prettylittlesnake”ispickedupbysomeonewhodoesnotrecognizeitasavenomousone.Thecoralsnakeisoftenconfusedwiththeharmlessscarletkingsnake,whichitcloselyresembles.Ahelpfulrhymegoes,“redtouchyellow,killafellow;redtouchblack,goodforJack.”Theredringsofthecoralborderstheyellow.Theredofthekingsnakeborderstheblack.Also,thecoralhasablacknose,thekingsnakearednose.Thecoralsnakeisasmall-sized,slenderbodiedreptilewiththenarrowheadandroundeyepupilscharacteristicofnon-poisonousspecies.Mostcoralsnakesarelessthan24inchesinlength.FoundmoreorlesscommonlythroughoutFlorida,thecoralinhabitspinewoods,pondandlakebordersandthejungle-likegrowthofFlorida’shammocks.Itfavorssuchplacesasrottinglogs,pilesofdecayingvegetation,heavyfallenleafcoverandoldbrushpiles.Itnosesaboutthroughdecay-ingvegetationandhumustocatchandfeedonothersnakes,lizards,frogsandothersmallanimals.

PygmyRattlesnake

Thepygmyrattlesnake,alsocalledgroundrattler,iscommonthroughoutFlorida.Itisfoundineverycountyandonmanyoftheoffshoreislands.Itsrattleissmallandslenderandproducesasoundlikethebuzzingofaninsect.Thiswarningsignalcanbeheardfornomorethanafewfeetaway.Stout-bodiedforsosmallasnake,itisgrayincolorandmarkedprominentlywithrounded,duskyspots.Startingatbaseofthehead,reddishspotsalternatewiththeblackalongthemidlineoftheback.Mostpygmyrattlersmeasurelessthan18inchesinlength.Thisspeciesfeedsonsmallfrogs,lizards,miceandothersnakes.Likeothermembersofthepit-viperfamily,it

doesnotlayeggs,butgiveslivebirthtoitsyoung.Lookforthepygmyrattlesnakeinpalmettoflatwoods,orinareasofslashpineandwiregrass.Itmaybeencounteredinalmostanylocalitywheretherearelakes,ponds,ormarshes.Itisfortunatethatthegroundrattlerissmall,asithasafeistydisposition,andisquicktostrike.Itsbiteproducespainandswelling.

EasternDiamondbackRattlesnake

Theeasterndiamondbackisthelargestandmostdangerousofournativesnakes.Itslargebodysize,quantityofvenom,aggressivedefensivetacticsandtremendousstrikingspeedmakethissnakeonetobetreatedwithextremecaution.Thediamondbackisrecognizedbyadistinctivepatternofyellow-bordereddiamond-shapedbodymarkings.ThediamondbackoccursineverycountyinFloridaandonmanyofthecoastalislands.Itismostcommonlyencounteredinpalmettoflatlands,pinewoods,abandonedfields,andbrushyandgrassyareas.Inmostsituations,thissnakeisdifficulttospotsinceitscolorpatternblendsintothebackground.Whendisturbedtherattlerassumesadefensivepositionwiththebodycoileduponitself,rattlefreeandelevatedtosoundawarningwhirr,andheadandneckraisedinanS-position.Fromthisstance,therattlercanrepeatedlystrikeandreturntoitsoriginalpositionsorapidlythatthemovements

appear only as a blur to the human eye.Theeffectivestrikingdistanceisfromone-thirdtoone-halfthesnake’sbodylength.Whendisturbeditgenerally,butnotalways,soundsawarningrattle.Newlybornrattlersareequippedwith venom.