Any Florida Snake Experts?

IraRunyan

Found this snake in Brevard County, Florida in a lake (cell) located in the Viera Wetlands. At first glance I thought it was a Red Rat Snake, but the colors and patterns are all wrong.

Anybody know what it is?

Cygnus Studios

Looks like a corn snake

John Slone

Well, my expertise is not in Florida herps but it looks to be a Banded (Nerodia fasciata fasciata) or Florida Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris). Although I think your individual might be an oddball. It looks to me like it might be hypomelanistic (reduced black pigment).

Here are a few links. Was it found in the Panhandle or down south?

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-guide/Nerodiafasciata.htm

http://ngaherps.com.previewyoursite.com/BandedWS.jpg

Nice job! Be safe out there.

Beers,

John

IraRunyan

John Slone wrote:

Well, my expertise is not in Florida herps but it looks to be a Banded (Nerodia fasciata fasciata) or Florida Banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata pictiventris). Although I think your individual might be an oddball. It looks to me like it might be hypomelanistic (reduced black pigment).

Here are a few links. Was it found in the Panhandle or down south?

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-guide/Nerodiafasciata.htm

http://ngaherps.com.previewyoursite.com/BandedWS.jpg

Nice job! Be safe out there.

Beers,

John

Thanks John, your ID conferms the thoughts of others. This snake was found in central Florida, just south of Cocoa. I have taken many photographs of Florida Banded Watersnakes, but have never seen one with suppressed black pigmatation like this one.

[Deleted User]

A good catch and good captures Ira.

Which cell was it in?

IraRunyan

Jim K wrote:

A good catch and good captures Ira.

Which cell was it in?

Jim, he was along the east dike road, right in front of the park bench thats there.

Stilltime

That's weird. It doesn't look like a corn snake, or a banded water snake. Corn snakes have more like diamonds, though not really diamonds, but not deffinitive bands/stripes like this snake. The spots break before they meet the belly.. if that makes sense. More like patches than bands. And corn snakes have black on their bellies, and I don't think banded water snakes do. And this snake desn't look like it has a black on its belly. And corn snakes have black stripes on their tails.

We get a lot of corn snakes here, and this doesn't really look like one from first glance.

IraRunyan

Stilltime wrote:

That's weird. It doesn't look like a corn snake, or a banded water snake. Corn snakes have more like diamonds, though not really diamonds, but not deffinitive bands/stripes like this snake. The spots break before they meet the belly.. if that makes sense. More like patches than bands. And corn snakes have black on their bellies, and I don't think banded water snakes do. And this snake desn't look like it has a black on its belly. And corn snakes have black stripes on their tails.

We get a lot of corn snakes here, and this doesn't really look like one from first glance.

At first glance, I thought it was a Corn Snake aka Red Rat Snake, but as you have indicated it does not look like one.

Appairently it is a pale Florida Banded Watersnake..Nerodia fasciata pictiventris that has it's black colors suppressed. Normally, those tan areas between the red bands are black or dark brown.

Gale

yikessssssssss
I hate snakes......

Good pics but rather see birds...lol