Rattlesnakes in Florida

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

• The Eastern diamondback rattlesnake can grow to be up to 6 feet in length. It is thick-bodied and heavyset. The Eastern diamondback has very sharp-looking, triangular scales and is grey or cream colored with black and grey diamond patterns on its back. The Eastern diamondback is found all over Florida as well as in the Florida Keys, usually in pine flatwoods. An Eastern diamondback rattlesnake bite can be fatal if antivenin is not provided to the person immediately.

Dusky Pigmy Rattlesnake

• The dusky pigmy rattlesnake is grey in color and has small black diamond shapes running down its entire back and sides, as well as small orange blotches also running down the center of its back. In Florida, the dusky pigmy rattlesnake is found all over, but not in the Florida Keys. It inhabits prairies and marsh areas. The pigmy rattlesnake does not usually inject bites with enough venom to cause death. The dusky pigmy rattlesnake is also called the pigmy rattler or the ground rattler.

Timber Rattlesnake

• The timber rattlesnake is only found in Northern Florida, usually around damp riverbeds or swampy areas. The timber rattlesnake is a beige color with a rust-colored stripe down the center of its back, and it has black chevron patterns running down the length of the body. The timber rattlesnake is also sometimes called the canebrake rattlesnake. Timber rattlesnake bites are not as deadly as eastern diamondback rattlesnake bites.

Other Venomous Snakes

• In Florida, there are only six species of venomous snakes including the three rattlesnakes. The other species are the coral snake, the Southern copperhead and the cottonmouth or water moccasin. The copperhead and water moccasin are thick-bodied, banded-patterned snakes that can be mistaken for rattlesnakes, aside from lacking the rattle. The coral snake is a slender, brightly colored snake with red, yellow and black bands.