Types of Florida Water Snakes

The wild of Florida is home to many animals including water snakes. Florida supports the life of 80% of all the species of water snakes found in the USA. The banded water snake is most prevalent in Florida.



Water snakes are not poisonous; there is no need for killing them. These snakes feed on fish, frogs, tadpoles and other small creatures found in water. The fact that they are non-venomous does not mean they are harmless. Water snakes have teeth which they use to bite when threatened. Their temper makes them unsuitable as pets. They are small; most of them do not grow to more than one meter. The following are the Florida water snakes;

The banded water snake
This water snake is the most common in Florida. As the name suggests, its entire body has banded patterns. This type of snake survives in any kind water habitat, so long as it is fresh water. However, unlike the Northern water snake, the banded water snake prefers still water. These two species are known to segregate.

The Northern water snake
This water snake is most prevalent in the USA. It is easily confused with the banded water snake or the poisonous water Moccasin. The northern water snake is relatively huge as it can reach a length of 5 feet. The species can be found in large numbers under favorable climatic conditions. The main diet of these species is fish.

The plain-bellied water snake
The plain-bellied water snake has no pattern on its underside (belly); this makes it easy to distinguish from the other water snakes. They also have notably larger eyes. Their main diet is amphibians, they are, therefore, more abundant in temporary water bodies.

The eastern green water snake
The eastern green water snake is also called the Florida water snake- this proves its prevalence in Florida. The snake can be distinguished from other water snakes due to the long teeth- if you have time to look at the teeth. This water snake has a yellow belly and has a thick body, unlike most water snakes that have slender bodies.

The brown water snake
The brown water snake is among the few water snakes that grow more than 3 feet. It prefers large rivers and lakes. It drops on boats due to its habit of basking in overhanging vegetation. It is confused for the cottonmouth snake, which is venomous. Most people prefer to be safe than sorry. But if the snake drops from a tree, it can never be a cottonmouth. Cottonmouth snakes do not climb trees.

Water snakes are not venomous. Learn how to distinguish them from cottonmouth snakes to avoid unnecessarily killing them.

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