Snakes provide a lot of benefit to society by eating some of our least desired pest species like rats, mice, and insects. You are much more likely to get bitten if you attempt to capture, kill, or handle a snake than if you slowly back away and create an escape route. To reduce the chance of a snakebite give all snakes plenty of room to escape. Generally speaking, snakes (both venomous and non-venomous) are more interested in escaping than attacking.
To learn more about the visual differences between these species, watch this short video from UF/IFAS Pinellas County Extension: What to do if you encounter a snake in your yard or at your home The banded watersnake has a scale pattern on its bottom jaw that looks like long, fang-like teeth but don’t worry … they are just dark scales.Ĭomparison of snake species: banded or southern watersnake on the left and water moccasin or cottonmouth on the right.The cottonmouth is more “heavy-bodied” or more muscular looking than the banded water snake (In other words, the cottonmouth has a thicker body).“Banded Water Snake, south Georgia, USA” by TomSpinker is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 The banded watersnake has a round pupil and a relatively large eye.However, be aware that when threatened, the watersnake may attempt to flatten it’s head and mimic the cottonmouth’s head shape. The cottonmouth has a spade shaped head that is much larger than the watersnake’s head.“Snakes in a Tree” by Gerald Carter is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 some time to look at these two species and you’ll notice a few differences. Every one of the following photos is of the southern or banded watersnake, which is non-venomous and native to Florida. None of the following photos are a Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin. Much more often than not, the snake in question is actually a southern or banded watersnake ( Nerodia fasciata). The majority of photos sent in for identification to the Natural Resources Extension Program in Polk County are of suspected cottonmouths. Some of these lookalikes are very goodimitators! The pygmy rattlesnake, the cottonmouth, and the coralsnake all have native, non-venomous lookalikes. The diamond-backed rattlesnake is easy to identify by the yellow or gold outlined black diamonds on its back. Cottonmouth or Water Moccasin ( Agkistrodon piscivorous).Pygmy Rattlesnake ( Sistrurus miliarius).Eastern Diamond-backed Rattlesnake ( Crotalus adamanteus).The venomous snakes found in Central Florida are: If a snake bites you, it is because it felt threatened in some way. You are far too big, even as a child, to be considered prey. While a non-venomous snake bite is unlikely to be a severe medical condition, it is important to seek medical treatment to prevent infection and subsequent medical issues that can result from infection.īoth venomous snakes and non-venomous snakes generally prefer to avoid confrontation and humans. Therefore, snakes described here are venomous … not poisonous.Īs a reminder, both venomous and non-venomous snakes can bite and both types of bites require medical attention. Venom must be injected into your body where it will come in contact with your circulatory system, whereas poison needs to be touched, inhaled, or ingested for it to be harmful. What’s the difference between venomous and poisonous? However, snakebite deaths are incredibly rare and encounters with venomous snakes can often be avoided or minimized so that a bite is unlikely. Thanks to Hollywood and common folklore, a fear of snakes is incredibly common today. In Central Florida, we have 35 of Florida’s native snake species and only 4 of the 6 venomous species found in the state. Thankfully, only 6 of those species are venomous. In Florida, we have 46 native species of snakes.