SNAKES OF LAKE WOODRUFF NWR

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For more information about the ecology and natural history of snakes common to this area, visit the Florida Snake Quiz.

Pit vipers (Family Viperidae, Subfamily Crotalinae) VENOMOUS

VENOMOUS SNAKES ARE RELATIVELY COMMON AT LAKE WOODRUFF NWR, SO EXERCISE CAUTION WITH ALL SNAKES.  WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST LEAVE THE SNAKE ALONE AND WALK AWAY. 

	The dusky pigmy rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius barbouri, is the pit viper most likely to be encountered on the refuge. They can be found in nearly all areas except aquatic habitats, though they are most common in mesic hammock and along the edges of the dikes.  In spring through fall, looking along the sides of the dikes an hour or so before sunset is a good way to find them.   They are usually coiled when seen, and a coiled adult is only a 4-5" across.   For more information on pigmy rattlesnakes, see the Pigmy Rattlesnake Home Page.
	Cottonmouths, or water moccasins (Agkistrodon piscivorus), are not common in the public use areas of the refuge, but are occasionally found along the edges of impoundments, in flooded hammocks, and sometimes crossing the dikes.  However, most snakes seen crossing the dikes are not cottonmouths, but banded water snakes.  If you see this display from a snake, it's a cottonmouth that wishes to be left alone.  Color pattern is highly variable, and prominent bars as seen in this snake may not be present.  The brown mask on the side of the head bordered by white lines is a consistent feature.
	Eastern diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus) are heavy-bodied, boldly patterned, and unmistakably gorgeous, whether or not you can see or hear the rattle (most individuals don't rattle unless highly perturbed).  They are not easily found, though present on several parts of the refuge.  Populations occur on Jones Island, and in the upland xeric hammock habitats just inside the refuge entrance.  They can occasionally be found in the winter by looking around the entrances of gopher tortoise burrows on bright, sunny days.

Coral snake (Family Elapidae) VENOMOUS

"Red on black, friend of Jack, red on yellow, kill a fellow".  Coral snakes, Micrurus fulvius, are common in mesic and xeric hammock habitats, though they spend most of their time under the leaf litter.  Several individuals are killed by cars on the entrance road every year, and the Oak Hammock Nature Trail just south of the parking lot is one of the places where they are regularly seen.  Though relatively docile (usually) and loathe to strike unless persistently pestered, this is an extremely dangerous snake that should not be handled.

Colubrid snakes (Family Colubridae)

This is the largest family of snakes in the world, and contains nearly 3/4 of the known species of snakes.  Consequently they are diverse in size, color, shape, ecology, and behavior.  Recent classifications have suggested subdividing this large family into several smaller families of the larger superfamily Colubroidea based on traditional and molecular data.  These suggested new families are the Colubridae: Scarlet Snakes (Cemophora), Racers (Coluber), Indigo Snakes (Drymarchon), Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis), Green Snakes (Opheodrys), Pine Snakes (Pituophis), and Crowned Snakes (Tantilla); Dipsadidae: Ringneck (Diadophis) and Pinewoods Snakes (Rhadinaea); Natricidae: Water Snakes (Nerodia), Crayfish Snakes (Regina), Swamp Snakes (Seminatrix), and Garter and Ribbon Snakes (Thamnophis), and the Xenodontidae: Mud Snakes (Farancia) and Hognose Snakes (Heterodon).  I'll treat the more commonly seen colubroid snakes by general habitat preferences.  None of these species are venomous in the strict sense, although many will bite if handled, and some individuals may have reactions to the salivary seretions of some "non-venomous" species, such as Garter Snakes.

Aquatic species

	Probably the most commonly seen snake on the refuge, the Florida banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris) is common in all pools and impoundments, and in hammock habitats when water is present.   They are sometimes seen crossing the dikes in large numbers just before or after dusk .  Their color pattern is highly variable, and ranging from bright reddish-brown with prominent banding to nearly solid black.  Dark margins around the scales above the mouth (the labials) are a consistent field mark.
	Other water snakes in the genus Nerodia can be found on the refuge, but are less common, and seem less likely to venture far from water.  The brown water snake, Nerodia taxispilota, can get quite large (over 5'), though most are less than 4'.  They are less variable in color pattern than banded water snakes, and are nearly always a chocolate-brown ground color with rectangula blotches along the midline.
	Florida green water snakes (Nerodia floridana) are also relatively infrequent, but are easily recognized by their olive-green color with less conspicuous dark bands, as well as their pale underside.
	The striped crayfish snake, Regina alleni, is almost completely aquatic, but is sometimes seen crossing the dikes during the day in early spring, or in the summer after dark.  They are quite shiny, and their small tapered head and large eyes give them a very unique appearance.  They feed primarily (exclusively?) on crayfish, hence their aquatic ways.  Look for them on the dikes south of Pools 1 and 3.
	Another primarily aquatic snake that occasionally comes out on the dikes around dusk or after dark is the black swamp snake, Seminatrix pygaea.  Maximum length is no more than 18", and they are very tame.  The bright orange belly is distinctive, though you only see it if you pick them up.  Like crayfish snakes, they are very glossy.  Look for them on the dikes around the impoundments as well.

Leaf litter species

Several small to medium sized, secretive snakes occur on the refuge, most commonly in hammock habitats where there is a well-developed litter layer.  They are sometimes seen crossing roads or dikes, but are usually found only by those looking for them by flipping over logs, branches or palm fronds.  If you do flip cover to seek them, be sure to REPLACE THE COVER EXACTLY AS YOU FOUND IT, and do not tear up rotten logs or branches.  These types of ground cover provide very specific microclimatic conditions needed by these snakes and other animals, and disturbance can make it unsuitable.

	This is the ring-necked snake, Diadophis punctatus.  The name points out its most distinctive feature.  Maximum size is about 10"; these guys feed on earthworms, slugs, and small vertebrates such as ground skinks.  When threatened, ring-necked snakes sometimes exhibit this "tail-ball" display, intended to distract a predator's attention away from the snake's head.
	This is the red-bellied snake, Storeria occipitomaculata.  I see them occasionally crossing the road between the entrance gate and the parking lot.  The faint band on the neck will distinguish them from the somewhat similar pinewoods snake (below), which is less common.
	The pinewoods snake, Rhadinea flavilata, is not common, but is present in  the pinewood and hammock habitats east of the parking lot.  It's most likely to be found by turning over cover.
	The Florida crowned snake, Tantilla relicta, can sometimes be found by looking under cover in the xeric hammock habitats just inside the refuge entrance.
	This coral snake mimic, the scarlet king snake (Lampropeltis triangulum), is common in some of the mesic hammock "islands" located in the floodplain marsh.  They tend to be active on the surface more frequently in the late summer and fall, but usually spend most of their time under leaf litter or logs.  Young snakes are often less brightly colored than the more mature individuals.  A red nose and red bands bordered by black will distinguish this harmless snake from the eastern coral snake.
	The somewhat similar, but less common scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea), is found in drier, sandier soil habitats such as the xeric hammocks along the railroad tracks.  They are also adept burrowers, and are not frequently seen.

Arboreal species

These snakes can be found on the ground at times, but spend much of their time high in the trees.

	The yellow rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta quadrivittata, can reach over 6' in length, although the average adult is 4' or less.  They are most frequently found in mesic and hydric hammocks, and are also frequently seen along the entrance road near the main parking lot. Smaller individuals are sometimes found far from hammock out on the dikes.  Juveniles look quite different from the adults.  The snake on the left is just finishing swallowing an adult squirrel he caught 30' up in the top of a palm tree.  The snake on the right is in defensive mode, and will strike enthusiastically if given the chance.
	There's no mistaking the rough green snake, Opheodrys aestivalis. Probably fairly common in mesic and hydric hammock habitats, they are not often seen because of their camouflaging color pattern, slow movement, and arboreal habits.  I see several of these snakes dead on the road close to the parking lot each year, so I suspect they are quite abundant.  They feed mainly on insects.
	Though not strictly arboreal, larger ribbon snakes (Thamnophis sauritus) have been found high in the trees feeding on tree frogs.  They are widespread among most habitats on the refuge, and can be found in the hammocks, foraging along the edges of pools and canals for frogs and fish, and hunting in the grass on the dikes, even in open areas far from wooded habitat.  This one has probably just eaten a frog, hence the bulge in the middle of the body.

Miscellaneous colubrids

	One of the most widespread and widely-ranging snakes on the refuge, black racers (Coluber constrictor) can be found just about anywhere.  These rapid, highly alert and visually oriented snakes are usually gone before or soon after you see them.  They are also considerably different in color pattern from the adults when young.  They feed on frogs, other snakes, birds, and small mammals.
	Garter snakes, Thamnophis sirtalis, are sometimes found in or around the wetlands, but can also be found in the interior of mesic hammocks, far from standing water.
	Unlike its congener the yellow rat snake, the corn snake, Elaphe guttata, seems to spend a greater amount of time under ground cover than in the trees.  It is a capable climber, however, like all rat snakes.  Young of the year snakes can be much paler in coloration than adults.  I've seen these snakes a few times around the parking lot area and once out on the dikes near a hammock island, but they are not common on the refuge.
	Secretive and hard to find even where it is more frequent, the Florida pine snake (Pituophis melanoleucas mugitus) shouldn't be on your expected species list for Woodruff.  Nonetheless, master snake finder Dr. Terry Farrell did find one crossing the road near the refuge entrance several years ago.  These snakes spend much of their time underground, which adds to their inconspicuousness.
	Although some refuge brochures and websites indicate that the indigo snake (Drymarchon corais) is present on the refuge, I'm skeptical.  In over ten years of doing snake research on the refuge, in habitats suitable for indigo snakes, we never came across one.  I am aware of one individual released onto the refuge over a decade ago by the refuge manager, but to the best of my knowledge, there haven't been any sightings of indigos on the public use areas of the refuge in recent years.  The uninformed snake enthusiast sometimes mistakes the black racer for an indigo, however.

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