One of the lesser known snakes to inhabit Florida is the Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake. These beautiful, harmless, non-venomous snakes are only found in the Mangrove swamps in Florida and are frequently seen basking above the water on the limbs of mangrove trees. They are active primarily at night, depending on tidal patterns and seasons.
Mangrove Salt Marsh Snakes inevitably ingests salt from its estuarine habitats. Since it does not have salt glands to help it get rid of excess salt, it must occasionally obtain freshwater, such as from rain, coastal streams, or body fluids of their prey. Their range is from along the Gulf coast from central Florida south to the Florida Keys, and north to around Brevard County on the Atlantic coast.
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View A Photo Of Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake
View A Close-up Of A Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake
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The live-bearing average adult size is 14-28 inches in length. Adults are variable in color and they may be grayish-olive, brown, or rusty orange with faint darker bands. Some Mangrove Salt Marsh Snakes may be almost entirely black and can have dark stripes on the neck.
The belly is reddish-brown on rusty orange individuals, clouded gray on olive-gray individuals, clouded tan on brownish individuals, or mostly black with a central row of light spots on black-colored individuals. The scales are keeled, and there are 21-23 dorsal scale rows at midbody with a pupil that is round. Juvenile coloration is similar to adults.
Mangrove Salt Marsh Snakes feeds on small fishes, crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates trapped in isolated pools of water by the falling tide. During high tide, they hang in the upper parts of the mangrove trees, waiting for the low tide to come back out.
While it does not happen often, some people could confuse a Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake with a venomous Cottonmouth, and the easiest way to tell them apart is that Cottonmouth pupil of the eye is a catlike vertical slit. Cottonmouth eyes cannot be seen from the top of the head, and the top of the head is relatively flat. So if you are ever in the mangroves and happen to come upon a Mangrove Salt Marsh Snake, take a moment to enjoy this gentle and beautiful snake that is only here in Florida.
Article Written By Dawn La Follette