The purpose of the Pensacola Snake Watch project is to educate residents in the Pensacola Bay area what types of snakes are most frequently encountered by residents and what time of year they are encountered.  The bay area is home to 40 different species/subspecies of snakes.  Most of them (13 species) are water snakes but are rarely encountered unless you venture into the freshwater systems that feed our bay.  There is one exception – the banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata fasciata) is one of the three most frequently encountered snakes in the area.  They are found near water sources but creeks, retention ponds, ditches near homes, are all places this snake can be found.

There are seven species of small snakes (<1 foot) and these are most often encountered by gardeners and folks working in landscaping.  There are eight species of mid-sized snakes (1-2 ft) and they are also most frequently encountered by those working in lawn and gardens, but others do see them.  The seven species of large snakes (> 2 feet) are not encountered frequently but most are seen (due to their large size) during the course of the year.  An exception to this rule is the southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) which is also one of the three most commonly encountered snakes in the area.  This snake is very common in neighborhoods and does not mind people.  There are four species of venomous snakes.  The cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorous) is the third of the three most commonly encountered snakes and is found all over the bay area.  There is only one nonnative snake in our area, the VERY small Brahminy Blind Snake (Ramphotyphlops braminus).  This snake is only a few inches long and can easily be confused with a worm.  But it does have scales and is a snake.  They are most often found by gardeners and has the other common name “Flower Pot Snake” due to being found under them a lot.

We began this project in 2022 and below is a table comparing what has been encountered during the 1^st quarter of the year (winter – Jan/Feb/Mar).  Again, being ectothermic, encounters during the winter are fewer.

Most of the 2025 records have come from south Santa Rosa County.  This does not suggest they have more snakes, but more people reporting.  However, we have reports from both counties.  Venomous snakes are the ones most are concerned about.  During the 1^st quarter two of the four venomous species have been reported.  Two eastern diamondback rattlesnakes and one cottonmouth.  One rattlesnake was reported from Escambia County, the other from Santa Rosa.  The cottonmouth was reported from Escambia.

We are only two weeks into spring, and we have already had 11 snake encounters reported.  Spring is typically the busiest time of the year, and we will provide the 2^nd quarter report in July.  If you see a snake, please report it by email me at roc1@ufl.edu.  Send a photo if you can for identification verification.  We are also collecting dead snakes that are in good enough condition for dissection.  This is to determine if our snakes have an internal parasite that was brought with the Burmese python and has been found to be lethal some of our native snakes.  If you find a dead snake in good condition, we ask that you place in a Ziplock bag – label the bag with the date, where you found it (GPS if you can), your name, and what type of snake (if you know) – either contact me or bring to the Escambia County Extension Office.  Be aware that recently killed snakes can still bite – do not handle until you are sure it is dead – you can use a stick or rake to move it.  If you have questions about local snakes, let us know.

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