 Barry Mansell photos. |
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Scientific name: Regina rigida rigida
Description: Average adult size is 14-23 inches (35.5-58.4 cm), record is 31 inches (78.7 cm). Adults are glossy brown to olive brown, there may be a faint darker stripe on the back and another one each side. The extreme lower sides are yellowish-tan. The throat is streaked with brown pigment. The belly is yellow or cream with two rows of black spots. The scales are keeled and there are 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round. Juveniles are similar to that of adults.
Glossy crayfish snake: Left to right: Top of the head
(notice the large plate-like scales on the top of the head);
underside of the head (chin and throat).
Glossy crayfish snake: Left to right: Side of the head;
front (face view) of the head.
Range: In Florida, it is found from the central peninsula northwest into the panhandle. Outside of Florida, it is found along the Atlantic coast to Virginia.
Habitat: Uncommon, found in cypress strands, sloughs, sphagnum bogs, swamps, creeks, and streams.
Comments: 
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The glossy crayfish snake is aquatic. It is also occasionally found burrowed
beneath logs and crossing roads after heavy rains.
Adults feed primarily on crayfish, fishes, frogs, and salamanders. Juveniles may also feed on aquatic invertebrates such as dragonfly larvae.
It is live-bearing, with breeding occuring in the spring. The young are born in the summer months.
Comparison with other species: The striped crayfish snake (Regina alleni) has an unpatterned belly and smooth scales. The Gulf crayfish snake (Regina rigida sinicola) lacks the faint, dusky stripes on the sides of the throat. The queen snake (Regina septemvittata) has four stripes on the belly.
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