florida venomous snakes - university of central...
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More Information
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:[email protected]
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.