State field guide · Data updated October 2026
Snakes in Florida
Quick answer
Florida has about 50 native snake species, and 6 of them are venomous: the eastern diamondback, timber and pygmy rattlesnakes, the cottonmouth, the copperhead (Panhandle only) and the eastern coral snake. Most snakes found in Florida yards are harmless. The state also has a serious invasive snake: the Burmese python in the Everglades.
- Native species
- ~50
- Venomous
- 6
- Python range
- 1,000+
- square miles, south Florida
01 — Venomous species first
The 6 venomous snakes of Florida
Five of Florida’s venomous snakes are pit vipers, with a heat-sensing pit between eye and nostril and vertical pupils. The sixth, the eastern coral snake, is a slim, brightly banded snake with a black snout.
Statewide near water. The Florida cottonmouth covers most of the state; the northern cottonmouth occurs toward the western Panhandle. Most adults are about 3 ft (91 cm).
MISTAKEN FOR banded, brown and Florida green water snakes. Copperhead vs cottonmouth.
CopperheadAgkistrodon contortrixPanhandle only, in hardwood forest and ravines. Usually under 3 ft (91 cm).
MISTAKEN FOR corn snake, young rat snakes.
Statewide in pine flatwoods, palmetto and scrub. The largest venomous snake in the US; it may exceed 6 ft (1.8 m).
MISTAKEN FOR brown water snakes, young pine snakes.
North Florida only, south to about Gainesville; river floodplains and hardwoods. Can reach 5 ft (1.5 m) or more.
MISTAKEN FOR other banded snakes in leaf litter.
Statewide except the Keys. Most adults are 12–24 in (30–61 cm), and the rattle sounds like a faint buzz.
MISTAKEN FOR young hognose snakes, young corn snakes.
Statewide, including Key Largo in the upper Keys, often under leaf litter. Rarely longer than 30 in (76 cm).
MISTAKEN FOR scarlet kingsnake and scarlet snake, whose red bands touch black, not yellow.
If someone is bitten, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222. If a pet is bitten, take it to a veterinarian right away. This page gives no first-aid or treatment instructions; see our safety disclaimer.
02
Snakes recorded in Florida
Species are grouped by how often people report them. Abundance is our editorial estimate from agency and university field guides and varies by region. Snakes with a full profile on this site have a photo and link; the others are listed by name.
Common · 15
Pantherophis guttatus
Agkistrodon conanti
Uncommon · 20
Heterodon platirhinos
Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus
A subspecies of the pine snake.
Agkistrodon contortrix
Panhandle only.
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Western Panhandle.
Rare or local · 10
Federally threatened.
Proposed for federal listing as threatened.
Found only in Florida.
South Florida and the Keys; federally endangered.
Panhandle streams.
Western Panhandle.
Nonnative · 2
Established in and around the Everglades.
Tiny, worm-like and harmless; common in gardens.
03
Identify by color
Color varies with age and region, so treat these groups as a starting point. Check the head, pupils and pattern on each species profile.
Southern black racers, the eastern indigo snake, older cottonmouths and some water snakes.
Corn snakes have red-orange blotches. Coral snakes, scarlet kingsnakes and scarlet snakes have red bands.
Rattlesnakes, water snakes, hognose snakes, pine snakes and young racers.
The rough green snake. Florida green water snakes are olive-brown rather than bright green.
Garter and ribbon snakes, the striped crayfish snake and gray or yellow forms of the eastern rat snake. None of Florida’s venomous snakes are striped.
Eastern coral snake if red touches yellow; scarlet kingsnake or scarlet snake if red touches black. Leave all of them alone.
04
By region
Florida stretches from temperate hardwood forest in the Panhandle to subtropical wetlands and islands in the south.
Pensacola, Panama City and Tallahassee. The only part of Florida with copperheads, and the area where the northern cottonmouth and Panhandle stream snakes occur.
Jacksonville and Gainesville. Timber rattlesnakes reach south to about Gainesville; pine snakes and hognose snakes use sandhills.
Orlando and Tampa. Scrub ridges hold crowned snakes and the rare short-tailed snake; eastern diamondbacks use flatwoods and palmetto.
Miami, the Everglades and the Keys. Most invasive reptile records. Pygmy rattlesnakes are absent from the Keys; coral snakes reach Key Largo.
05
Geography & climate
North Florida is humid and subtropical with occasional freezes; the far south is close to tropical. Because winters are short and mild, many Florida snakes stay active for much of the year, with quiet spells during cold snaps. Key habitats include pine flatwoods, sandhill and scrub, cypress and hardwood swamps, freshwater marsh, and coastal salt marsh and mangroves.
For a month-by-month example of how temperature drives snake activity, see when snakes are active in Texas and our field note Do snakes hibernate?
06
Prey & predators
Florida snakes eat frogs, fish, rodents, lizards such as the green anole, eggs and other snakes. The eastern indigo snake and kingsnakes regularly eat other snakes, venomous ones included.
Predators include hawks, herons, raccoons, the American alligator and the Virginia opossum. Invasive pythons and tegus compete with and prey on native wildlife.
07
Invasive reptiles
Florida has the world’s largest number of established nonnative reptiles and amphibians, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The FWC reports that more than 500 nonnative species of all kinds have been recorded in the state, about 150 of them established and breeding, and that about 80 percent arrived through the live animal trade.
A large, nonvenomous constrictor established across more than a thousand square miles of south Florida, including all of Everglades National Park. It threatens native wildlife. Sightings can be reported to the FWC.
A large lizard established in several parts of Florida. It eats the eggs of ground-nesting animals.
Green iguanaIguana iguana
A lizard common along south Florida canals and seawalls. Listed as prohibited by the FWC.
The gold tegu is also established in Florida. Tegus and iguanas are lizards, not snakes, but they are among the state’s most visible invasive reptiles.
Keep reading
Sources
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — Living with snakes
- University of Florida IFAS Extension — Recognizing Florida’s venomous snakes
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — Burmese pythons
- Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission — Rule changes for high-risk nonnative reptiles
- U.S. Geological Survey — Are there invasive reptiles other than Burmese pythons?
- Florida Museum of Natural History — Harlequin coralsnake
- Florida Museum of Natural History — Dusky pygmy rattlesnake
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Key ring-necked snake and rim rock crowned snake listed as endangered
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Proposed threatened status for the southern hognose snake
Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages · Data sources