There are 44 species of snakes in Florida; however, only six species are venomous and only four of the six are widespread. Chances are favorable that the snake in your backyard is most likely harmless, which is good news for all of us. Still, you should know a little about the most common species.

First, what should you do if you see a snake? Most wildlife officials agree that you should just leave it alone. There is no reason to kill a snake unless it’s poisonous and a threat to people or pets. Snakes are beneficial to the area’s wildlife habitat, a source for controlling crop-destroying and disease-carrying rodents, so unnecessarily killing snakes is not a good idea.

1. Visual identification, non-venomous:  In Florida, any snake with stripes is non-poisonous and most of the ones we see are only about 12-24” long. Some of the most common non-venomous backyard types include the black garter snake, the slender ribbon snake, the black and yellow-chinned kingsnake, the large red/orange rat snake.

2. Visual identification, venomous:  Three of the venomous snakes in Florida are rattlers. Look for the diamond shaped head of the diamondback, the gray/pink buffed canebrake, and the black and red spotted pigmy. Other poisonous snakes in Florida include the dark, taper-tailed cottonmouth moccasin, the brown-banded copper snake and the red/black/yellow coral snake.

3. Habitats:  Snakes live in every natural habitat. Trees, shrubs, leaf litter, soil, water – they can be found almost anywhere in Florida.

4. Response:  Just like many creatures, snakes will attack if threatened or startled. Chances are the snake would rather flee if given the chance. A snake will bite, but that does not mean the bite is venomous.

5. Learn more:  Educate yourself on identifying the most common snakes in our area.