Venomous snakes in Florida
Venomous snakes living in Florida
6species, plus 1 with rare records
Cottonmouth, Timber rattlesnake, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Eastern coral snake, Copperhead, Pygmy rattlesnake. A bite from any of these is a medical emergency.
How to recognize them
CottonmouthDangerous1,109 records, 59 counties
Timber rattlesnakeDangerous39 records, 10 counties
Eastern diamondback rattlesnakeDangerous849 records, 55 counties
Eastern coral snakeDangerous761 records, 48 counties
CopperheadMedically significant28 records, 7 counties
Pygmy rattlesnakeMedically significant905 records, 52 counties
Cottonmouth Agkistrodon piscivorus
- Heavy, dark olive to black body; bands fade with age
- Broad flat head with a dark stripe through the eye
- Swims with the whole body high on the water
Timber rattlesnake Crotalus horridus
- Dark V- or chevron-shaped bands across the back
- Black tail ending in a rattle
- Yellow, tan or dark phases; some are almost black
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus
- Dark diamonds with pale yellow edges down the back
- Two pale diagonal stripes on each side of the face
- Thick body and a rattle on the tail
Eastern coral snake Micrurus fulvius
- Red, yellow and black rings; red rings touch yellow ones
- Black snout followed by a wide yellow band
- Rings go all the way around the body
Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix
- Copper to tan body with dark hourglass bands: wide on the sides, narrow on the spine
- Plain coppery head with no pattern
- Young snakes have a bright yellow-green tail tip
Pygmy rattlesnake Sistrurus miliarius
- Small with a thin tail and a tiny rattle that sounds like a buzzing insect
- Gray or tan with dark round blotches
- Often a reddish stripe down the spine
Every venomous snake species known from the US is on this site.
Counties with records
- None recorded
- 1 species
- 2
- 3 to 4
- 5 or more
Active months
Rare records
- Rare records Western diamondback rattlesnake 3 open records
Harmless snakes people mistake for them
- Coral Snake vs King Snake Scarlet kingsnake: harmless
- Cottonmouth vs Water Snake Water snake: harmless
- Coral Snake vs Milk Snake Milk snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Northern Water Snake Northern water snake: harmless
- Cottonmouth vs Banded Water Snake Banded water snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Corn Snake Corn snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Rat Snake Rat snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Milk Snake Milk snake: harmless
- Cottonmouth vs Brown Water Snake Brown water snake: harmless
- Coral Snake vs Scarlet Snake Scarlet snake: harmless
- Pygmy Rattlesnake vs Hognose Snake Eastern hognose snake: harmless
- Copperhead vs Hognose Snake Eastern hognose snake: harmless
Water snakeHarmlessHarmless
Northern water snakeHarmlessHarmless
Banded water snakeHarmlessHarmless
Brown water snakeHarmlessHarmless
Eastern hognose snakeHarmlessHarmless
Corn snakeHarmlessHarmless
Rat snakeHarmlessHarmless
Milk snakeHarmlessHarmless
Scarlet kingsnakeHarmlessHarmless
Scarlet snakeHarmlessHarmless
Quick answers
- Lives here Are there rattlesnakes in Florida?
- Lives here Are there copperheads in Florida?
- Lives here Are there cottonmouths in Florida?
- Lives here Are there coral snakes in Florida?
Questions
How many venomous snakes are in Florida?
6 species live in the state: Cottonmouth, Timber rattlesnake, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Eastern coral snake, Copperhead and Pygmy rattlesnake.
Which venomous snakes in Florida are dangerous?
Cottonmouth, Timber rattlesnake, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, Eastern coral snake, Copperhead and Pygmy rattlesnake: a bite is a medical emergency.
When are venomous snakes most active in Florida?
Most open records fall in March to May, August to October.
Which harmless snakes get mistaken for venomous ones in Florida?
Scarlet kingsnake, Water snake, Milk snake and Northern water snake. See the side-by-side comparisons below.