Southern Florida Black Swamp Snake

Liodytes pygaea cyclas

Venom Status:

Non Venomous

Characteristics:

A shiny, 10 to 15 inch long, heavy bodied, aquatic snake. Uniformly black above and rich red-orange on the belly. A short black triangle on each side of each (117 or fewer) ventral scute. Use range to differentiate from the North Florida and the Carolina black swamp snakes. There are 17 rows of smooth scales. This snake has small litters of live young (ovoviviparous). Prey items include small fish, salamanders, leeches, and tadpoles.

Unique Features:

Black above and bright orange-red below. Check range for subspecies identification.

Habitat and Diet:

Sluggish, often weed-choked waterways, ponds, lakes, sloughs, marshes, and swamps. Often found amidst the root systems or stems of floating vegetation. Seems most partial to the introduced water hyacinth roots. Prey items include small fish, salamanders, leeches, and tadpoles.