Home to multiple military bases, the Pensacola region’s population ebbs and flows as military families cycle in and out. Many newcomers are unfamiliar with the area’s swampy habitats or the creepy crawlies that live there — including 40 of Florida’s 46 native species of snakes — but Rick O’Connor helps ease their transition.
“People are fascinated by snakes, and I happen to know enough about them to provide guidance,” said O’Connor, a Florida Sea Grant agent for UF/IFAS Extension Escambia County.
O’Connor’s purview is generally coastal and marine-related topics, but the volume of snake-related inquiries fielded by Extension inspired him to develop a personal interest into an educational opportunity for others. In 2022, he launched the Snake Watch Project, an annual tally of snakes spotted and photographed by residents in the region. He released his 2024 report earlier this month: 180 sightings of 21 species. Like last year, the most common species was the cottonmouth, a semi-aquatic, venomous snake also known as the water moccasin. Residents reported the species 38 times.
The Snake Watch Project is not a precise measurement of population size, O’Connor says. Participants are not encouraged to seek out snakes but simply asked to report animals they see as they go about their normal activities. O’Connor does, however, use the data to inform members of the public about the types of snakes they are likely to encounter each season. It also provides fodder for two free programs he offers to demystify the Panhandle’s serpentine residents: “Living with Snakes” and “Snakes of Pensacola Bay.”
“The ‘Living with Snakes’ program helps the public better understand, for a lack of a better term, ‘snake psychology,’” O’Connor said. “For example, what are these animals doing? Why are they in your yard? What’s going through their brain when they see you?”
A snake that sees a human feels threatened, O’Connor said, and the progression of the animal’s typical reaction can be described using three “F” terms: freeze, flee and fight.
“If a snake feels like it can’t get away, it’s definitely going to turn and defend itself,” he said. “Ninety-five percent of people bitten by snakes — whether the snake is venomous or not — are either trying to kill them or catch them.”
“Living with Snakes” teaches the audience how to tell the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes. It also describes the steps someone should take if they are bitten.
“Snakes of Pensacola Bay” is a new program that mines the data O’Connor collects to identify and describe typical snake habitats based on the season. During winter, for example, snakes are generally hibernating, and they won’t venture into the open unless sunny skies entice them to bask.
But cold weather doesn’t preclude human encounters. Two weeks ago, when temperatures dipped into the 20s in Pensacola, residents reported five snakes to the Snake Watch Project. Among them was an Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, the largest venomous snake in the country.
“It was really interesting,” O’Connor said. “The lady who took the photograph said she had no idea what kind of snake it was. She said the snake was so cute and little and that its tongue was sticking out.”
Report a snake to the Snake Watch Project by emailing a photograph of the animal and information about the location to Rick O’Connor at roc1@ufl.edu. Community groups may also email him for information about scheduling a “Living with Snakes” or “Snakes of Pensacola Bay” presentation.
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The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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