VENOMOUS SNAKES OF FLORIDA
Let me start by saying that I am not a herpetologist. These pages are designed to give limited information about the venomous snakes of Florida, but should in no way be considered a complete guide.
If you don't live in Florida, please take the time to learn about the venomous snakes and other venomous animals of your own area, and teach your children and loved ones about them as well. In addition to the information listed on this site, I have many links on my Venomous Links page that may assist in learning about the venomous snakes in your area.
The Venomous Snakes of Florida
There are 6 species of venomous snakes that inhabit Florida. I feel that anyone who lives in or visits
Florida should make themselves aware of these snakes, and learn how to identify them. Children
especially, whom snakes often fascinate, should be made aware of these 6 species. A lot of snakebites
occur because people are uniformed about the venomous snakes that inhabit Florida, and
mistakenly think them harmless. The best rule of thumb is - if you don't know what kind of snake it
is - leave it alone.
The 6 species of venomous snakes in Florida are listed below. Click on any of the snake names below for information about the species.
- Southern Copperhead - Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix
- Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin - there are two subspecies of
the Cottonmouth found in Florida:
- Eastern Cottonmouth - Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus
- Florida Cottonmouth - Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti
- Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake - Crotalus adamanteus
- Timber Rattlesnake - Crotalus horridus
- Dusky Pygmy Rattlesnake - Sistrurus miliarius barbouri
- Eastern Coral Snake - Micrurus fulvius
External links involving the snakes of Florida
- Florida Museum of Natural History - Herpetology.
The Florida Museum of Natural History's Herpetology pages are one of the ultimate resources for information
on Florida reptiles. They have a host of information on all types of venomous and non-venomous snakes and
other reptiles found in Florida. Below are some direct links to some extremely useful pages that the FLMNH has on snakes.
- Guide to Florida's Venomous Snakes - this is an excellent resource for learning about and identifying the 6 different venomous snakes that inhabit Florida.
- Online Guide to Snakes of Florida - this is an excellent guide to the snakes of Florida. It includes a complete list of the snakes found in Florida (both harmless and venomous), sorted alphabetically by their common name and by their scientific name. Each listing links to detailed information and pictures about each species of snake.
- Layman's Key to the Snakes of Florida - this is an absolutely spectacular key for helping anyone identify a snake that they may have seen in Florida. It is an easy to use identification guide, even for someone who know absolutely nothing about snakes. This key is part of the guide to the snakes of Florida listed above, but is so useful that it deserves a direct link.
For more information on venomous snakes, please see the Venomous Links page.
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