SNAKE SEEKING NEAR CANTONMENT FLORIDA

We are quickly approaching the warmer months of summer and the high temperatures that come with it. In the higher temperatures snakes will seek shelter; venturing out more often during the cooler mornings and evenings and during rain events. This week I searched the Langley Bell 4-H Camp and Roy Hyatt Environmental Center. Both days I searched the air temperatures climbed very quickly and I did not see any snakes. I did find a snake skin in an old greenhouse at Roy Hyatt but the live animals were somewhere cool. I was shown a photograph of a 5 foot Eastern Diamondback found at the Langley Bell Camp in 1996. The caretaker there said he has seen about 5 over the last few years. This camp was recently sold to a credit union and the gentlemen clearing land for the new buildings were wearing snake boots – suggesting they are finding some.

I plan to search weekly through the end of June and then focus on lionfish for a couple of months. I encourage you to continue to report snake sightings in the panhandle to my email during the summer months (roc1@ufl.edu). If you have any questions or seek more information on particular snakes, just let me know. Here is a quick update on the information logged from the beginning of May until this weekend.

33 snakes logged – counties include: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, and Leon.

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes – 3 (2 from Escambia; 1 from Walton)

Florida Pine Snake – 1 (Santa Rosa)

Southern Hognose Snake – 0

I also encourage those who find one of the three snakes listed above to report them to FWC at: http://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/snakes

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