Florida Snakes: Non-Venomous Snakes | ||
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Florida has more species of non-venomous snakes than any other state
east of Texas, a total of 37 different species. Florida's non-venomous
snakes come in a great variety of size and colors and are found in all
Florida habitats from mangrove swamps to the driest scrub, from
limestone spring runs to the Everglades, and even the backyard. Along with spiders, snakes suffer more human misunderstanding than any other animals. Snakes are feared in part because of the very few species which are actually dangerous and in part because of ignorance about their mysterious ways The snake skeleton consists of hundreds of vertebrae joined together by special connectors in addition to the normal ball and socket joints which provide flexibility. When a snake eats a large meal, the thin skin between its hard scales stretches to allow great expansion of its body. A snake's skeleton can accommodate this expansion because snakes do not have the restrictive bone of humans such as the breast bone or the pelvic girdle. The motion of snakes has always been a mystery. Part of the confusion is that snakes have several ways of propelling themselves. The best known method is called serpentine motion or lateral undulation, and is the familiar S curve crawl. By applying pressure against irregularities on the ground from various points along its long body, a snake almost magically converts side to side motion to forward movement. However, on a smooth surface where a snake cannot get good traction, it will writhe vigorously with little forward movement. All snakes can swim and they use of the S curve movement to propel themselves through the water. A snake can also move by first anchoring its front belly scales into the ground or another surface, bunching up its loose skin so that the skin slides forward long the the body, anchoring its rear scales, and then sliding its body forward within the skin. Other kinds of movement include a back to front rippling motion, much like a caterpillar, and a side-winding movement used by sidewinders and the Florida Hognose Snake. |
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Atlantic Salt Marsh Snake
Black Swamp Snake Bluestripe Garter Snake Brown Chinned Racer Brown Water Snake Crown Snakes Eastern Coachwhip Eastern Garter Snake Eastern Hognose Snake Eastern Indigo Snake Eastern Mud Snake Everglades Racer Florida Brown Snake Florida Kingsnake Florida Pine Snake Florida Green Water Snake Florida Water Snake Glossy Crayfish Snake |
Gulf Salt Marsh Snake Mangrove Water Snake Pine Woods Snake Plainbelly Snake Rainbow Snake Rat Snake Red Rat Snake (Corn Snake) Redbellied Snake Redbelly Water Snake Ribbon Snake Rough Green Snake Scarlet Kingsnake Scarlet Snake Short Tailed Snake Smooth Earth Snake Southern Black Racer Southern Hognose Snake Southern Ringneck Snake Striped Crayfish Snake |
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