Rare Rainbow Snake Spotted in Florida for the First Time in 50 Years

The rare rainbow snake, last seen in Florida in 1969, has finally reappeared.
While hiking in the Ocala National Forest, located 47 miles north of Orlando, two women encountered the stunning four-foot-long creature.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), rainbow snakes are “extremely aquatic, spending much of their existence buried amid aquatic vegetation; never observed, even by herpetologists, due to their cryptic habits.”

Experts believe that recent changes in the water level of the Rodman Reservoir may have forced the snake out of hiding.
Hikers Tracey Cauthen and Rebecca Boyer came across the rare snake while walking through the Ocala National Forest. Boyer shared on Facebook, “Tracey Hale Cauthen and I came upon this wonderful creature.”
Also known as the “eel moccasin,” the iridescent rainbow snake features a blue-black back, yellow and red spots, and three red stripes along its body. Adults typically range from 40 to 54 inches, with the longest recorded specimen measuring 66 inches.
These snakes thrive near streams, lakes, marshes, and tidal flats, often hiding under floating vegetation or burrowing into the ground. Their elusive nature makes sightings incredibly rare, even for experts who study amphibians and reptiles.
The Florida Museum of Natural History confirms that rainbow snakes are non-venomous and completely harmless.

In 2010, the Florida-based Center for Biological Diversity filed a petition to classify the South Florida rainbow snake as an endangered species due to the risk of extinction for 403 Southeast freshwater species. However, federal authorities declared the snake extinct the following year without conducting a full assessment.
In response, the Center offered a $500 reward for concrete proof of the snake’s existence. Now, the sighting by Cauthen and Boyer marks the first confirmed presence of the rainbow snake in Florida in five decades.
According to the Florida Museum, the species can be found in the Florida Panhandle, the northern peninsula, and along the coast from Louisiana to Maryland.