As many of you know, Escambia County Extension logs snakes people encounter when out and about during their day. We do not send people out to look for them but rather log those that people encounter when doing their normal activity. The objective of this project is to educate the public about which snakes people typically encounter, when they encounter them, and where.
The number of reports was down in 2025. We are not sure whether this was due to fewer people reporting, or whether there were fewer snakes encountered. Some who regularly report have told me they have not seen as many snakes this year. If this is the case it could be due to the snow event we had in the winter, the intense heat of this past summer, and the drought we have witnessed this summer/fall. We are not sure.
Of the 40 known species that inhabit the Pensacola Bay area – 19 were encountered this year. This compares to other years as follows –
| Year | No. of Species Encountered |
| 2022 | 21 |
| 2023 | 24 |
| 2024 | 21 |
| 2025 | 19 |
Based on this people typically encounter about 50% of the species that live here. This year we were slightly below that at 47%.
Broken down by size classes we have the following for 2025…
| Size class | No. of species known | No. of species encountered | Most common |
| Small (<12”) | 7 | 3 | Florida Red-bellied Pine woods snake |
| Medium (12-24”) | 8 | 5 | Eastern ribbon snake |
| Large (>24”) | 7 | 5 | Southern black racer |
| Water Snakes | 13 | 2 | Banded water snake |
| Venomous | 4 | 3 | Cottonmouth |
| Non-native | 1 | 1 | Brahminy blind snake |
| TOTAL | 40 | 19 | Ribbon snake Southern black racer |
Small Snakes
First, small snakes are small; thus, more difficult to see. Most are encountered in gardens and landscaping. They are mostly nocturnal. This year the most common were both the Florida red-bellied snake and the Pine woods snake (both had 3 encounters). When compared to previous years…
| Year | Most common small snake encountered |
| 2022 | Southern ring-necked snake (3) |
| 2023 | Rough earth snake (2) |
| 2024 | Southern ring-necked snake (5) |
| 2025 | Pine woods snake, Florida red-bellied snake (3) |
Medium Snakes
Some species in this group are the most frequently encountered snakes by residents. Like small snakes, most are encountered in gardens and landscaping. This year the Eastern ribbon snake. Not only was it the most encountered medium sized snake, but it also tied for the most common snake encountered all year. As you can see from the numbers below, this snake was encountered more frequently this year than others in the past.
| Year | Most common medium snake encountered |
| 2022 | Eastern ribbon snake (13) |
| 2023 | Eastern garter snake (17) |
| 2024 | Eastern garter snake (15) |
| 2025 | Eastern ribbon snake (23) |
Large Snakes
There are 7 species of large snakes in the bay area and between 5-6 are encountered every year. Most likely this is because they are large, and easier to see. This year, like most years, the most encountered species is the Southern black racer. This snake does not mind humans and is often found in our neighborhoods and common in public areas as well. As you can see below, this is by far the most commonly encountered large snake and is one of the top three most common snakes encountered each year. This is a very common snake.
| Year | Most common large snake encountered |
| 2022 | Southern black racer (21) |
| 2023 | Southern black racer (35) |
| 2024 | Southern black racer (28) |
| 2025 | Southern black racer (23) |
Water Snakes
There are more species of water snakes (13) than any other group. But they are some of the most infrequent snakes encountered in our area. This is most likely because several species only inhabit wetland/riverine systems where few residents venture. Other than the banded water snake, most other encounters have been reported by fishermen fishing on our rivers. This year, as every year, the Banded water snake was the most frequently encountered water snake. This is one of the top three most frequently encountered snakes each year. This is a very common snake here.
| Year | Most common water snake encountered |
| 2022 | Banded water snake (3) |
| 2023 | Banded water snake (26) |
| 2024 | Banded water snake (22) |
| 2025 | Banded water snake (18) |
Venomous Snakes
There are only six venomous snakes reported in all of Florida. That is six out of a possible 46-48 species/subspecies (depending on which guidebook you use). All six have been reported in the Florida panhandle. Two of them only in the Florida panhandle – and they are both rare here; those being the copperhead and the timber rattlesnake. So actually, only four of the six venomous snakes have a good chance of being encountered: those being the cottonmouth, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, pygmy rattlesnake, and the eastern coral snake. Each year at least three of these are encountered. In 2023 all four were. Though each species has been encountered, other than the cottonmouth, the others are not encountered frequently. Encounters with the eastern coral snakes are particularly rare. That is not to say they are not common here, they are just not encountered very often, and that is fine with most people. Like the previous years, the most frequently encountered venomous snake is the Cottonmouth. Not only is the most frequent venomous snake, but it is also one of the top three most frequently encountered snakes overall. Cottonmouths are quite common here. The reason we may encounter it more often is because of its love of water – and most of us live near some source of water. The rattlesnakes prefer high dry semi-opened woodlands away from people. Coral snakes like more dense wooded areas; and almost every encounter of this snake has been in the Gulf Breeze area. However, they are found throughout the bay area.
| Year | Most common venomous snake encountered |
| 2022 | Cottonmouth (15) |
| 2023 | Cottonmouth (52) |
| 2024 | Cottonmouth (38) |
| 2025 | Cottonmouth (21) |
Non-native Snakes
There is only one reported non-native snake in the Pensacola Bay area; the Brahminy blind snake – also known as the “flowerpot snake”. This Asian snake is about the length and diameter of a toothpick. It is blue to gray in color, and the tiny black eyes are barely visible. It is, for the most part, blind, and does not seem to be invasive. Most who encounter this snake are gardening or working in landscaping. I have them in my yard, and they are pretty common. Most who first see it will confuse it with a worm, until you notice the scaled body – then you know you are not dealing with a worm.
| Year | # of Brahminy blind snakes encountered |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 2 |
Number of Encounters by Species by Year
| Species | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | TOTAL |
| Rough earth snake | 2 | 2 | 4 | ||
| Smooth earth snake | 1 | 1 | |||
| Marsh brown snake | |||||
| Florida red-bellied snake | 1 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 13 |
| Southeastern crowned snake | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Pine woods snake | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | |
| Southern ring-necked snake | 3 | 5 | 1 | 9 | |
| Scarlet snake | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | |
| Rough green snake | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| Eastern ribbon snake | 13 | 10 | 9 | 23 | 55 |
| Eastern garter snake | 3 | 17 | 15 | 5 | 40 |
| Eastern hognose | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | |
| Southern hognose snake | |||||
| Mole kingsnake | |||||
| Scarlet kingsnake | 1 | 1 | |||
| Eastern kingsnake | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Florida pine snake | 2 | 2 | |||
| Gray rat snake | 3 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 30 |
| Corn snake | 3 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 21 |
| Southern black racer | 21 | 35 | 28 | 23 | 107 |
| Eastern coachwhip | 5 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 38 |
| Eastern indigo snake | |||||
| Black swamp snake | 1 | 1 | |||
| Glossy crayfish snake | 1 | 1 | |||
| Queen snake | |||||
| Midland water snake | 1 | 1 | |||
| Banded water snake | 3 | 26 | 22 | 18 | 69 |
| Gulf salt marsh snake | 3 | 2 | 5 | ||
| Yellow bellied water snake | |||||
| Diamondback water snake | 1 | 1 | |||
| Brown water snake | 2 | 4 | 6 | ||
| Eastern green water snake | 3 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Western green water snake | 1 | 1 | |||
| Eastern/Western mud snake | |||||
| Rainbow snake | |||||
| Copperhead | |||||
| Cottonmouth | 15 | 52 | 38 | 21 | 126 |
| Timber rattlesnake | |||||
| Eastern diamondback rattlesnake | 5 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 32 |
| Pygmy rattlesnake | 5 | 6 | 1 | 12 | |
| Eastern coral snake | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Brahminy blind snake | 5 | 1 | 2 | 8 | |
| TOTAL | 91 | 222 | 176 | 133 | 622 |
Discussion
The first statement is that 30 of the 40 known species found in the area have been encountered at least once. That is 75%. Most are medium sized to large sized snakes. There are only two species that have been encountered 100+ times over the last four years; those are Cottonmouth (126) and the Southern black racer (107). These are followed by two snakes that have been encountered between 50-100 times; those are the Banded water snake (69) and Eastern ribbon snake (55).
Those encountered between 25-50 times include:
Eastern garter snake (40)
Eastern coachwhip (38)
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (32)
Gray rat snake (30)
Those encountered between 10-25 times include:
Corn snake (20)
Florida red-bellied snake (13)
Pygmy rattlesnake (12)
Those encountered between 2-10 times include:
Southern ring-necked snake (9)
Brahminy blind snake (8)
Pine woods snake (7)
Rough green snake (7)
Eastern kingsnake (6)
Brown water snake (6)
Gulf salt marsh snake (5)
Scarlet snake (5)
Rough earth snake (4)
Eastern hognose (4)
Eastern green water snake (4)
Eastern coral snake (3)
Southeastern crowned snake (2)
Florida pine snake (2)
Some of these species have populations of concern, and it is good they have been seen.
Those only seen ONCE in four years include:
Smooth earth snake (1) question identification – could have been rough earth snake
Scarlet kingsnake (1)
Black swamp snake (1)
Glossy crayfish snake (1)
Midland water snake (1)
Diamondback water snake (1)
Western green water snake (1)
Most of these are water snakes that live in habitats which few people visit. Others are smaller and harder to find.
AND THEN THOSE SPECIES THAT HAVE YET TO BE ENCOUNTERED IN FOUR YEARS.
Marsh brown snake
Southern hognose snake1
Mole kingsnake
Eastern indigo snake1
Queen water snake
Yellow bellied water snake
Eastern/Western mud snake
Rainbow snake2
Copperhead3
Timber rattlesnake3
1 species that are currently listed, or species of concern, and are rare in general.
2 species considered rare and under consideration of listing.
3 species that are common further north, but not as much in Florida.
We would like to thank all of you who have reported encounters in the Pensacola Bay area to myself. If you would like to participate, or have any questions, please contact me at Rick O’Connor – roc1@ufl.edu.
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