Rainbow Snake

Rainbow snakes have experienced declines because of the decline of the American eel population, their primary prey. Populations in some other states are dying from snake fungal disease.

Rainbow snakes are iridescent black or violet blue with three red stripes, and their lip and chin scales are yellow with violet spots. Adults are typically 3 to 4 feet long.

Rainbow snakes typically inhabit areas in or near water, such as rivers, springs, or brackish marshes.

We are interested in the current distribution of the species. A South Florida subspecies once occurred in Fisheating Creek in Glades County, 155 miles south of the nearest record in northern Lake County, but hasn’t been seen since 1952.