Florida scarlet snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cemophora coccinea coccinea |
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| Florida scarlet snake | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Cemophora |
| Species: |
C. coccinea
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| Subspecies: |
C. c. coccinea
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| Trinomial name | |
| Cemophora coccinea coccinea (Blumenbach, 1788)
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The Florida scarlet snake (scientific name: Cemophora coccinea coccinea) is a beautiful snake found only in the southeastern United States. It is a type of subspecies of the larger scarlet snake family. This snake is not venomous, meaning it's not dangerous to humans. It belongs to a group of snakes called colubrids.
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Where It Lives
The Florida scarlet snake lives only in Florida. You can find it from Marion County in the middle of the state, all the way down to the very southern tip.
What It Looks Like
The Florida scarlet snake is usually between 36–51 cm (14–20 in) long. That's about the length of a ruler! The longest one ever found was 78 cm (31 in) long.
Its body is often gray or white. It has bright red patches along its back. These red patches have black borders. Sometimes, the black borders connect on the snake's lower sides. This creates a line down its body. Its belly is a plain white color. The scales on its body are smooth to the touch.
How to Tell It Apart from Other Snakes
Sometimes, people might confuse the Florida scarlet snake with other snakes. These include the scarlet kingsnake (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides) or the Eastern milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum). These snakes live in some of the same areas.
But there are easy ways to tell them apart:
- The Florida scarlet snake has white bands. The scarlet kingsnake has yellow bands.
- The Florida scarlet snake has a red head. Its nose also points slightly upwards. This helps tell it apart from the Eastern milk snake.
It can be harder to tell the Florida scarlet snake from its close relative, the Northern scarlet snake. Usually, you can tell them apart by where they live. Their homes only overlap a little bit. The main difference is the number of scales around their upper lip. The Florida scarlet snake has 7 upper lip scales. The Northern scarlet snake has 6.
Behavior
Like other scarlet snakes, the Florida scarlet snake likes to stay hidden. It is a burrowing species, meaning it digs and lives underground. It prefers places with soft soil. You can often find them in open forests or on farms.
They spend most of their time hidden away. They come out to find food. They eat small rodents and lizards. But they especially love reptile eggs! They can swallow eggs whole. Or they might puncture the egg and eat what's inside.
Reproduction
Florida scarlet snakes lay eggs. This means they are oviparous. They usually mate between March and June. The female snake lays 3 to 8 eggs in the middle of summer. The baby snakes hatch in early fall. When they hatch, they are about 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) long.
- Species Cemophora coccinea at The Reptile Database
