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.

How to Use this Key:

1. Start with the first question. Decide whether 1a or 1b best describes the characteristics of the snake you are trying to identify. (There are links to examples of these traits if you need help.)
2. If the snake is striped, click on 6; if it is not striped, click on 2. Your choice will lead you to the next appropriate pair of questions.
3. Work through the questions, each time choosing the characteristic that best matches your snake from the two choices. This 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, click on the name and compare your snake with the photographs and description. 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.

Use links in this column to see helpful examples		Use these links to choose between the questions at left
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 Diamond-backed 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 are smooth	7
6b	Scales are 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)	Eastern Ratsnake, Pantherophis alleghaniensis
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)	Queensnake, Regina septemvittata
10b	Belly dark, with or without row of light spots down middle	Saltmarsh 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	Eastern Ribbonsnake, Thamnophis sauritus
12b	Back greenish with 3 yellow, brownish, or bluish stripes and alternating row of dark spots between the stripes	Common Gartersnake, 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	Red Cornsnake, Pantherophis guttatus
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)	Pinesnake, 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, Lampropeltis extenuata
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	Gray Ratsnake, Pantherophis spiloides or Eastern Ratsnake, Pantherophis alleghaniensis
21a	Belly pinkish; blotches brown to reddish-brown; small-sized, 8-14" (20-36 cm)	juvenile North American 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	Scarletsnake, 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
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	Common 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	Southern 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 elapsoides
28b	Ringed with red, yellow, and black; nose black	Harlequin Coralsnake, Micrurus fulvius
29a	Scales are smooth	30
29b	Scales are 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 Smooth Earthsnake , 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 couperi
33b	Back black or blue-gray, chin white to brown; active, alert, long and slender	North American Racer, Coluber constrictor
34a	Orange, yellow or cream ring across back of neck; small size, 4–12" (10-30 cm)	Ring–necked Snake, Diadophis punctatus
34b	No ring across neck	35
35a	Spike on tip of tail; nose broadly rounded; large, 38-81" (97-206 cm)	Red–bellied Mudsnake, Farancia abacura
35b	No spike on tail; nose not broad; small, 7–13¼" (18–34 cm)	Black Swampsnake, Seminatrix pygeae
36a	'Blind' (eyes hidden under scales), small worm-like, 5-12" (13-30 cm); tiny spine on blunt tail	Brahminy Blindsnake, 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	Southern 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 Greensnake, Opheodrys aestivus
45b	Back olive green (occasionally reddish), heavy-bodied	46
46a	Belly dark with light spots	Mississippi 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)	Plain-bellied 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 Littersnake, Rhadinea flavilata
48b	Upper lip not white	49
49a	Light collar across back of neck followed by dark crossband	Dekay's Brownsnake, Storeria dekayi or Florida Brownsnake, Storeria victa
49b	No light collar on neck	50
50a	Indistinct light stripe down middle of back, belly red or orange	Red-bellied Snake, Storeria occipitomaculata
50b	No light line down back, belly cream to yellow	Rough Earthsnake, Virginia striatula

Back to Top