Florida rivals Australia in its diverse array of preposterously dangerous or just plain preposterous animals that its residents, like me, just have to learn to live with. Most of them are invasive, most of them should be killed on site, like our pythons, and most of us would have no idea what to do if we encountered one. Luckily, in the case of the rainbow snake, Florida wildlife officials don’t want to kill it. They just want some information on its whereabouts. Maybe bring it in for questioning.
The rainbow snake is a very real animal that has become something of a myth in Florida. They are stunning iridescent creatures with a glossy blue shimmer and bright red stripes. They are semiaquatic and non-venomous. They don’t pose an immediate threat to humans or even other wildlife, unlike the many, many pythons that have to be killed every year to maintain ecological balance.
So why put out an APB on rainbow snakes? Because the last time anyone saw one in the state of Florida was back in 2020, and the last time anyone had seen one before that was in 1952.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, or FWC, is asking locals, hikers, and anyone who dares to venture outside in Florida’s soul-draining summer humidity to report sightings with as much detail as possible. They’re putting a particular emphasis on photographic evidence.
If you’re wondering why there’s such a sudden interest, it’s because there is evidence to suggest that habitat loss and a snake-specific fungal disease have decimated the rainbow snake population. Another source of potential dwindling numbers could be seen in the dwindling numbers of the rainbow snake’s primary food source, American eels.
What researchers don’t know is the extent to which the rainbow snake has been impacted. They want cold, hard evidence that these things are still around.
Within a week of making this public announcement, the FWC received around 30 reports of rainbow snake sightings, only about 12 of which were credible, and only eight had photos attached that allowed officials to confirm it was indeed a rainbow snake. Some were found hanging around driveways, others near bridges. One of them was hanging out around a boat.
It’s a good start, but the FWC wants more. If you’re in Florida and you think you might have spotted a rainbow snake, the FWC set up a website that lets you easily report your sighting. Just be sure to have your latitude and longitude handy.
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