How to identify venomous snakes in Florida – Florida Hikes

One factor is for sure: in the event you hike in Florida, or spend a lot of any time outside in Florida, you will note snakes.

This can be a good factor. Snakes eat rodents, which carry ailments.

The essential query, nevertheless, is will they hurt you? Odds are decrease than you suppose, particularly in the event you don’t choose up snakes. Which you shouldn’t.

Florida has six venomous species of snakes. Venomous means some of these snakes can strike and launch toxins into your bloodstream. They’ll additionally “dry strike,” injecting no venom.

Different snakes, in the event you nook them, may also strike. However they solely depart a nasty puncture wound.

A common rule of thumb to keep away from getting harm by a snake is to not get shut to 1.

Particularly, watch the place you step (at all times look OVER a log earlier than stepping over it) and don’t seize at something hidden.

Principally, don’t step or attain the place you possibly can’t see. And by no means choose up a snake.

So as of how seemingly you might be to see them, these are the Florida snake species that may severely hurt you in the event you obtain a venomous chunk from them.

Pygmy Rattlesnake

The smallest of the rattlesnakes in Florida, the pygmy rattlesnake is present in a broad number of habitats.   We’ve come throughout them whereas climbing by means of pine flatwoods, deeply shaded hardwood forests, and sandhills.  

We’ve seen them lounging within the solar on paved trails, atop rotting logs, and tucked in behind rocks alongside the bluffs of the Suwannee.

Whereas their coloration varies with dimension and age, they mix proper into the leaf litter on the forest ground.

Pygmy rattlesnake underfoot at Orlando Wetlands Park. Fairly a couple of hikers virtually stepped on this one hidden within the grass.

Not all pygmy rattlesnakes even rattle if you strategy, until you disturb them sufficient for them to contemplate putting.

We’ve watched them stand their floor once we’ve gotten shut. Their warning rattle is considerably faint.

Pygmy rattlesnakes are the supply of most venomous snake bites in Florida. Since they are often fairly small, youngsters usually choose them up.

John nonetheless tells the story of how he bicycled dwelling as a child with a snake in a paper bag dangling from the handlebars, and dumped it out on the kitchen desk when he received dwelling.

“That’s a pygmy rattler!” his Pop mentioned, and threw it out the door.

Cottonmouth

Additionally known as water moccasin, the cottonmouth prefers swampy areas. That’s to not say you gained’t come throughout them in different places, significantly on the bases of timber or up in timber close to flowing water.   The “cottonmouth” identify comes from the white inside their throat that they exhibit when excited. They are going to coil up and open their mouth to point out off their fangs.  

Cottonmouths are glorious swimmers. You’ll be able to encounter them whereas swimming in a lake or spring.

Particularly if you’re close to a pure grassy shoreline with leaf litter and cypress knees. All the time be cautious of the perimeters of waterways relating to snakes.

There are a number of innocent Florida water snakes that look a bit like cottonmouths in each head form and coloration. That may be a protection mechanism for them.

The cottonmouth has a sharply angled head, as most pit vipers do, with a “pit” between its eyes and nostrils.

It additionally has white stripes behind its eyes. Like cat eyes, its eyes have slits.

Diamondback Rattlesnake

The most important of Florida’s venomous snakes, the diamondback was rather more frequent than it’s right now.   Even in our youth, bounties had been paid for these rattlesnakes as a result of they had been really easy to seek out, and so giant.   A diamondback rattlesnake can develop to a fearsome size. 5 to 6 ft shouldn’t be unusual. The state file holder was eight ft lengthy.  

There are historical past museums in Florida that exhibit lengthy diamondback skins and photographs of males with lifeless diamondbacks so long as the lads are tall.

These snakes additionally coil up earlier than putting. Due to their dimension, their rattle is sort of distinctive.

We’ve encountered them in pine flatwoods, sandhills, scrub, and different habitats the place open sand is frequent.

They’re present in coastal habitats on barrier islands, together with the islands of the Florida Keys.

We had been stunned to come across one within the Huge Cypress Swamp whereas backpacking.

We hadn’t considered this huge swamp as being rattlesnake territory. Monumental Burmese pythons are extra of a priority there.

We’ve been informed by discipline biologists that it’s best to keep away from stepping off path, particularly in palmetto thickets.

The bases of the noticed palmettos are the diamondback rattlesnake’s favourite locations to twist up and relaxation. Particularly in the course of the winter, when they’re in search of a spot to remain heat.

Japanese Coral Snake

Coral snakes are colourful so that they catch your consideration rapidly. Like different snakes, keep out of their strike zone.   Their venom is a neurotoxin. It’s not true that they must chew to inject it, they will merely strike.  

Whereas most coral snakes are virtually pencil-thin, we’ve encountered one which was as thick round as a small cottonmouth.

You’ve most likely heard the rhyme “Pink touches yellow, lifeless fellow. Pink touches black, good friend of Jack.”

What that refers to are the colour bands on the coral snake. They’re similar to these seen on a scarlet king snake.

If pink and yellow bands contact, it’s positively a coral snake. In Florida. Nevertheless, coral snakes in different areas can have totally different banding.

We’ve encountered coral snakes each in upland areas – sandhills and scrub – and in moist pine flatwoods and prairies. It’s unlikely you’ll discover them in a swamp.

Timber Rattlesnake

Often known as the canebrake rattlesnake, the timber rattlesnake isn’t a quite common snake in Florida.   We expect we could have encountered one whereas climbing the Florida Path alongside the Suwannee River, and one other alongside the St. Johns River at De Leon Springs State Park.  

Timber rattlesnakes are primarily present in Northeast Florida, from the Suwannee River down into Volusia County. They like floodplain forests and different moist locations.

They’re smaller in dimension than the diamondback rattlesnake, with adults ranging three to 5 ft.

What distinguishes the timber rattlesnake from the diamondback is a reddish-brown stripe down its backbone.

That stripe disrupts a sample of black chevrons that time in direction of the snake’s tail.

Southern Copperhead

Associated to the copperheads discovered alongside the Appalachian Path and all through the Northeast, these venomous snakes have a reddish tint and a really lovely sample to their pores and skin.   Like different vipers, they’ve a flattened, pointed head and eyes with slender slits like a cat eye.  

Full-grown, they are often two to a few ft lengthy. The juvenile snakes have a yellow tip to their tail.

We’ve solely as soon as heard of hikers encountering them. Their recognized vary is from the Apalachicola River west to Pensacola.

Fast Have a look at all Florida Venomous Snakes

Should you Encounter a Venomous Snake

The primary rule of thumb if you encounter any snake is don’t strategy it. Deal with it with respect.

It’s not at all times straightforward to make a fast judgment on whether or not a snake is venomous or not. A rattlesnake is the one one that may let you already know.

Transfer out of its strike zone rapidly. Make a large circle round it to keep away from it.

Snake bites happen when your limbs get inside a snake’s strike zone.

Don’t put your ft or arms the place you possibly can’t see them when outside. And by no means choose up a snake.

If you’re struck by a snake, name 911 instantly. If you already know what sort of snake bit you, inform them.

You’ll require antivenom, and never each hospital carries it. The EMTs have to take you the place it’s out there.

Whereas ready, elevate the affected location. Take away restrictive clothes as your hand, leg, or foot will swell. Hold hydrated.

Evaluating Venomous to Non-Venomous Snakes

Should you took a photograph of the snake, it’s simpler to do a comparability in a while of what you noticed. Venomous or not?

Pit vipers – venomous species – have a really distinct V form and pits set between their eye and nostril. Different snakes don’t. Look carefully on the head in your picture.

Listed here are a few of the extra generally confused snakes. Coral snakes and king snakes have totally different shade banding, however an analogous form, dimension, and sample.

Coral snakes at all times have pink bands subsequent to yellow bands. King snakes don’t. Coral snakes have black noses, and king snakes have pink noses.

From a distance, it is vitally straightforward to mistake a standard water snake for a venomous water moccasin.

Up shut, the slit eye (versus spherical) and pit behind the nostril is apparent.

The identical goes for rattlesnakes: a slit eye and pit behind the nostril.

Because of artist Kate Dolamore for using her sketches.

There may be additionally a superb information to the above snakes – in addition to many different innocent ones – from the Florida Museum of Pure Historical past.

It contains many extra illustrations and photographs to help in identification.

Venomous Snakes of Florida

Articles collectively researched, written, and photographed by Sandra Pal & John Keatley, Florida authors and publishers of FloridaHikes.com.

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