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 Member Pages |
Animals of the Florida Scrub Short-tailed Snake
This one was found crossing a dirt road in Ocala National Forest. It was released after the picture-taking ceremonies. In captivity, short-tailed snakes eat small lizards and snakes, especially crowned snakes (Tantilla relicta). The State of Florida lists the short-tailed snake as a Threatened species.
Florida Scrub Overview
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The rarest snake species in
eastern North America. Few have ever seen this 18"
constrictor that apparently occurs only in scrub and
sandhills habitats in central Florida. Short-tailed
snakes are smooth-scaled, shiny and very slender. They
really do have a short tail compared to other snakes. The
short-tailed snake is thought to be related to the
kingsnakes. Herpetologists (those who study reptiles and
amphibians) believe that short-tailed snakes are
burrowers that spend most of their time under ground, but
most specimens (fewer than 200 are known to science) have
been found crawling on the surface, usually in autumn.
