Snake Sighting? Let State Biologists Know

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is inviting the public to report sightings of rare snake species, namely, the Florida pine snake, southern hognose snake and short-tailed snake. 

People are advised not to try to touch these creatures but just let state biologists know when and where you saw them. You can go online to report a sighting. 

All of these snake species have been petitioned for federal listing.

The three species are found in dry, upland habitats and spend most of their time underground. They are only occasionally seen moving along the surface or crossing a road.

For each report, the citizen is asked to provide the location where they saw the snake and the month and year the observation occurred. 

Researchers are also requesting citizens to submit photos of the snakes, when possible, to verify identification.

Reports can include live or dead animals.

Although these species are nonvenomous, citizens should avoid handling or disturbing them.

For more information about living with snakes and to submit sightings to the FWC, visit MyFWC.com/Conservation, select “How You Can Conserve,” and choose “Snakes” under “Living with Wildlife.”