Posted by Trevor and Christina Davis on May 10, 2007

Q: We found a small snake in our drive way tonight. I was wondering if you could help us identify it. It is about 7-8 inches long. The head seems very narrow compared to the body. Generally a light brown color with slightly darker brown stripes running from behind the head to the tail. On the back half of the head is a very dark brown spot. I'll include a picture.

Habitat: suburban/yard

State: Florida

Habitat: suburban/yard

A: Thanks for the nice photo - very helpful. It would have helped too if you had included your exact location in Florida too but I think the photo gives me enough information to make a pretty good ID. It appears that your snake is a Central Florida Crowned Snake (Tantilla relicta neilli). There are several varieties of Crowned Snakes in Florida that vary from one area to another so where you live dictates which of these snakes is the one you found.

This particular snake is small (7-9") and quite secretive and is found mostly in sandy areas and moist hammocks of central Florida. This is a totally harmless snake that feeds on centipedes and the underground larvae of insects. Not many people get to see these snakes so nice you had a chance to get a good look. Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( May 11, 2007)