All sightings of this 'elusive' snake should be reported, Florida officials say

Mark Price, Miami Herald on Aug 20, 2025

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Florida is plagued by invasive creatures, but it’s the native rainbow snake that state officials are asking people to report on sight.

The reason: The snakes are increasingly tough to find, giving rise to fears the species is dying out, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says.

“We need help from Floridians and visitors to better understand where rainbow snakes still occur in the state,” Kevin Enge of the FWC Wildlife Research Institute said in an Aug. 18 news release.

“Every sighting report gives us valuable data about their current distribution and helps us assess the health of the species in Florida.”

Sightings can be reported on the ”Rare Snake Sightings” page on Myfwc.com, and submitting photos is encouraged.

Rainbow snakes are nonvenomous, can reach 4 feet in length and are “visually striking and difficult to mistake for other species,” the state says.

“They are iridescent black or violet-blue with three red stripes along their back. Their lip and chin scales are yellow, marked with violet spots,” the FWC says. “These snakes are usually found in or near water, including rivers, springs and brackish marshes.”

The snakes are native to coastal plains in the southeast U.S., but are “secretive” and “seldom seen,” Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory reports.

Multiple causes are suspected for the population shrinking, including a spreading fungal disease and loss of habitat, officials say. Rainbow snakes are semi-aquatic and feed on American eels, which have also begun to decline in Florida.