Layman's Key to the
Snakes of Florida

This simplified key is an aid to the identification of the snakes of Florida for use by laymen with no technical training in herpetology. To use it you only have to observe the color and characteristics of the scales on the back and on the belly of the snake. Starting with the first couplet, decide whether 1a or 1b best describes the characteristics of the snake you are trying to identify. The correct choice will lead you to the next appropriate couplet — if the snake is striped, click on 6; if it is not striped, click on 2. Clicking on the appropriate number will move you down the page to the point where that couplet is at the top of your screen. Working through the couplets, each time choosing the characteristic that best matches your snake, will lead you to the final choice which identifies the snake. The key is so simplified that occasionally it will lead you to an incorrect identification. To check the accuracy of the identification, click on the name and compare your snake with the photographs and description of the species in the 'Online Guide to the Snakes of Florida'. Each account compares that species to the other snakes with which it is most often confused, so with a click or two you can check those species and confirm the identity of your snake.

1a Snake striped 6
1b Snake not striped 2
2a Snake blotched 13
2b Snake not blotched 3
3a Snake crossbanded 22
3b Snake not crossbanded 4
4a Snake with diamonds down its back, overlapping black-edged brown diamonds with white border; rattle on tan or brown tail Eastern diamondback rattlesnake,
Crotalus adamanteus
4b Snake not with diamonds 5
5a Snake ringed on entire body with same colors on back and belly 28
5b Snake nearly one uniform color, belly color different from back color 29
6a Scales smooth 7
6b Scales keeled 9
7a Back glossy black, 3 red stripes, belly red with black spots, sharp spine on tip of tail; large, 35-66" (89-167 cm) Rainbow snake,
Farancia erytrogramma
7b Back brown, yellow, or orange 8
8a Back brownish-yellow, yellow, or orange, with 4 dark stripes; medium to large, 34-101" (86-257 cm) Ratsnake,
Elaphe obsoleta
8b Back dark iridescent brown, with 2 light stripes high on sides and another yellowish stripe low on side Striped crayfish snake,
Regina alleni
9a Belly dark or with dark stripes or markings 10
9b Belly uniform white to yellow to green 11
10a Belly with 4 dark stripes (2 down middle and 1 down each side) Queen snake,
Regina septemvittata
10b Belly dark, with or without row of light spots down middle Salt marsh snake,
Nerodia clarkii
11a Back glossy dark brown with faint lighter stripes high on sides; medium sized, 14-31 3/8" (36-79 cm) Glossy crayfish snake,
Regina rigida
11b Not glossy 12
12a Back brown to black with 3 yellow to blue stripes Ribbon snake,
Thamnophis sauritus
12b Back greenish with 3 yellow, brownish, or bluish stripes and alternating row of dark spots between the stripes Garter snake,
Thamnophis sirtalis
13a Snout upturned; head and neck flattened and spread when frightened 14
13b Snout not upturned; head and neck not flattened when frightened 15
14a Underside of tail lighter than belly Eastern hognose snake,
Heterodon platirhinos
14b Underside of tail not lighter than belly Southern hognose snake,
Heterodon simus
15a Back yellow or reddish-orange with black-edged reddish blotches down middle alternating with smaller blotches on side; belly black and white checkerboard Corn snake,
Elaphe guttata
15b Back gray or brown with blotches; belly not black and white checkerboard 16
16a Tiny rattle on tail; black blotches down back separated by reddish spots Dusky pygmy rattlesnake,
Sistrurus miliarius
16b No rattle on tail; no reddish spots between dark blotches on back 17
17a Back brown with large squarish dark blotches down middle; belly yellow with dark spots; heavy-bodied, 28-69" (71-175 cm) Brown watersnake,
Nerodia taxispilota
17b Back gray or grayish-brown with blotches 18
18a Front of body grayish, rear rusty brown with poorly defined saddle-like blotches, or black, knob-like scale on nose; hisses loudly and furiously; large, 48-100" (122-254 cm) Pine snake,
Pituophis melanoleucus
18b Gray or light brown with well-defined dark blotches 19
19a Gray with dark brown blotches down middle of back separated by yellowish spots; belly white with dark blotches Short-tailed snake,
Stilosoma extenuatum
19b Dark blotches not separated by yellowish spots 20
20a Blotches reddish brown; belly not marked 21
20b Blotches blackish; belly yellowish or pinkish or blotched with black Rat snake,
Elaphe obsoleta
21a Belly pinkish; blotches brown to reddish-brown; small-sized, 8-14" (20-36 cm) juvenile Racer,
Coluber constrictor
21b Belly white; blotches black-edged reddish-brown; medium-sized, 30-45" (76-114 cm) Mole kingsnake,
Lampropeltis calligaster
22a Sharp, bright red, black, and white crossbands; belly white Scarlet snake,
Cemophora cocinnea
22b Back yellowish-brown, brown, or black with light or dark crossbands 23
23a Back pinkish-gray to brown with chevron-like black crossbands broken by reddish stripe down middle; rattle on black tail; pit between nostril and eye Timber rattlesnake,
Crotalus horridus atricaudatus
23b Back yellowish, reddish or black; no rattle on tail 24
24a Top of head broad and flat, much wider than neck; pit between nostril and eye 25
24b Top of head rounded, not flat; no pit between nostril and eye 26
25a Broad dark cheek stripe with light borders; black spotting in dark crossbands Cottonmouth,
Agkistrodon piscivorus
25b No broad dark cheek stripe; no dark spotting in dark crossbands Copperhead,
Agkistrodon contortrix
26a Back yellowish-brown to black with narrow light crossbands (chain-like in black specimens); belly white to brown with yellow smudges Kingsnake,
Lampropeltis getula
26b Back reddish-brown to dark brown with wide dark crossbands; stout-bodied, 16-62½" (41-159 cm) 27
27a Dark line from eye to corner of mouth; belly yellowish with reddish or darker markings Banded watersnake,
Nerodia fasciata
27b No dark line from eye to corner of mouth; belly yellowish-white Midland watersnake,
Nerodia sipedon pleuralis
28a Ringed with bright red, white, and black; nose red Scarlet kingsnake,
Lampropeltis triangulum
28b Ringed with red, yellow, and black; nose black Coral snake,
Micrurus fulvius
29a Scales smooth 30
29b Scales keeled 40
30a Body dark, mostly black, brown, or dark gray 31
30b Body silver-gray to pink to purple 36
31a Back black or bluish 32
31b Back brown Eastern earth snake,
Virginia valeriae valeriae
32a Belly black, gray, or bluish 33
32b Belly red, orange or pink (rarely white) 34
33a Back iridescent black, chin suffused with white or orange Eastern indigo snake,
Drymarchon corais
33b Back black or blue-gray, chin white to brown; active, alert, long and slender Racer,
Coluber constrictor
34a Orange, yellow or cream ring across back of neck; small size, 4-12" (10-30 cm) Ringneck snake,
Diadophis punctatus
34b No ring across neck 35
35a Spike on tip of tail; nose broadly rounded; large, 38-81" (97-206 cm) Eastern mud snake,
Farancia abacura
35b No spike on tail; nose not broad; small, 7-13¼" (18-34 cm) Swamp snake,
Seminatrix pygeae
36a 'Blind' (eyes hidden under scales), small worm-like, 5-12" (13-30 cm); tiny spine on blunt tail Brahminy blind snake,
Ramphotyphlops braminus
36b Not blind and worm-like 37
37a Slender tan whip-like snake, head and neck may be dark brown; large, 36-102" (91-259 cm) Eastern coachwhip,
Masticophis flagellum flagellum
37b Small tan snake with black cap on head and neck; 5-13" (13-33 cm) 38
38a No white collar between black cap on head and neck, found only in Dade and Monroe counties Rim rock crowned snake,
Tantilla oolitica
38b White collar between black cap on head and neck, or if collar is absent the snake is found elsewhere in peninsular Florida 39
39a White collar continuous between black cap on head and neck Southeastern crowned snake,
Tantilla coronata
39b White collar broken at midline or absent Florida crowned snake,
Tantilla relicta
40a Color primarily black or dark brown 41
40b Color essentially light brown, tan or green 44
41a Snout upturned; head and neck flattened and spread when frightened Eastern hognose snake,
Heterodon platirhinos
41b Snout not upturned; head and neck not flattened and spread 42
42a Top of head broad and flat, much wider than neck, broad dark cheek stripe with light borders; pit between nostril and eye Cottonmouth,
Agkistrodon piscivorus
42b Top of head rounded, not broad and flat; no broad cheek stripe; no pit between nostril and eye 43
43a Dark line from eye to corner of mouth Banded watersnake,
Nerodia fasciata
43b No dark line from eye to corner of mouth Midland watersnake,
Nerodia sipedon pleuralis
44a Color green or greenish (occasionally reddish) 45
44b Color light brown to tan 47
45a Back pea green, belly white to yellow-green; long and slender Rough green snake,
Opheodrys aestivus
45b Back olive green (occasionally reddish), heavy-bodied 46
46a Belly dark with light spots Green watersnake,
Nerodia cyclopion
46b Belly light Florida green watersnake,
Nerodia floridana
47a Back reddish brown, belly clear orange to yellow; medium-sized, 30-62" (76-157 cm) Plainbelly watersnake,
Nerodia erythrogaster
47b Back brown, reddish brown, yellowish brown to dark gray, belly cream, yellow or red;small, 7-21" (18-53 cm) 48
48a Upper lip white Pine woods snake,
Rhadinea flavilata
48b Upper lip not white 49
49a Light collar across back of neck followed by dark crossband Brown snake,
Storeria dekayi
49b No light collar on neck 50
50a Indistinct light stripe down middle of back, belly red or orange Redbelly snake,
Storeria occipitomaculata
50b No light line down back, belly cream to yellow Rough earth snake,
Virginia striatula

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Checklist of Florida Amphibians and Reptiles — Florida Herpetology

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