Tracey Cauthen, the woman who found the curious rainbow snake specimen, didn't believe what she was seeing. Without further ado, he took out his mobile phone and took a few photos of the five-foot-long animal he had seen in the Ocala National Forest, in the center of the Florida peninsula.
This snake had not been seen in Marion County since 1969, according to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, FWC.
The snake, a member of the Farancia erytrogramma species, is particularly difficult to detect, as it has a highly aquatic lifestyle, spending most of its time hidden among edaphohygrophilous vegetation. This snake is believed to have embarked on a journey into another watery environment, as the nearby Rodman Reservoir had recently been drained.
"The Florida Museum of Natural History confirms this is the first record of this species in Marion County since 1969!" The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute wrote on Facebook. “ These snakes are rarely seen, even by herpetologists, due to their cryptic habits. Digging near streams, lakes, swamps, and tidal marshes, rainbow snakes specialize in eating eels, which is why they have the nickname "eel moccasin."
Despite their striking appearance, rainbow snakes are not poisonous or aggressive ; in fact, they are quite tame.
