Florida Snakes
Florida snakes together with the many turtles, lizards, alligators and other reptiles are part of a complex wildlife that plays an incredible role in Florida’s ecosystem maintenance. Florida snakes are classified in forty species with highly varied habitats, from salt marshes to fresh water mars and dry uplands or coastal mangroves and residential areas. Only six Florida snakes are poisonous, and they are coexisting with the non-venomous varieties, venturing in urban settings too. Knowledge about the morphology of the Florida snakes allows one to identify specimens and see which are dangerous and which harmless. Avoid snakes and they will avoid you!
The coral snake and pit vipers are the most dangerous Florida snakes, they can be identified by certain features that make them stand apart. Pit vipers include the rattlesnake, the cottonmouth and the copperhead, they all have elliptical eye pupils, facial pits between the nostrils and the eyes as well as on the lateral of the V-shaped head. These Florida snakes fall in the haemotoxic category as their venom attacks the red blood cells, and causes unstoppable hemorrhage by the destruction of the blood vessel walls. The venom of coral snakes is neurotoxic, meaning that it affects the function of the nerves and induces paralysis.
Most of the snakebites reported in the United States every year are caused by Florida snakes, by rattlesnakes to be more precise. As their venom is very rapidly spreading in the body system, without immediate medical intervention, the victim will die within less than half an hour. A major difference in the group of Florida snakes is made by copperheads, the venom of which will hardly require antidotes. Their toxins are the least potent and they are therefore considered the most gentle poisonous Florida snakes.
Even if poisonous snakes raise the biggest concern by the threat they pose, the most widespread of Florida snakes is the black racer, a non-venomous variety that uses only its very sharp fangs to hunt its prey. It is common practice for home owners to try and get rid of snakes from their properties, yet, specialists stress out the fact that without them, rodents would breed out of control causing other forms of damage. Therefore, unless there are any alarm bells ringing about snakes nesting in large numbers in people’s gardens, there is no reason to interfere with the life of these creatures.
