FL Scarlet Snake Traditional Cache

This cache is located in Highlands Hammock State Park. The park is open from 8:00 am until sunset, 365 days a year, including all holidays. There is a fee to enter the park. The snake series of caches will take you along the bike trail on Dam Road. You might see a variety of wildlife along this shady and scenic trail including deer, bear, pigs, cottonmouth snakes just to name a few. .

Description: Average adult size is 14-20 inches (36-51 cm), record is 32.5 inches (82.8 cm). Adult color is a whitish-gray dorsal ground color with red blotches bordered by black. The head is red with a distinct light colored band just behind the eyes. The belly pattern is uniformly whitish-gray. The scales are smooth, and there are 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody. There are 7 scales on the upper lip, and the pupil is round. Juvenile color is like that of adults.

Comments: HARMLESS (Non-Venomous) The Florida Scarlet Snake is locally abundant, but rarely seen due to its secretive nature. It lives mostly underground, in or under logs, or burrowed under tree bark. It is nocturnal and sometimes seen after dark crossing roads.

It feeds on small snakes, lizards, rodents, and reptile eggs.

It lays eggs. Breeding occurs from March through June, and typically 3-8 eggs are laid from May through August. Newborns are 5-6 inches (12-15 cm) in length.

Comparison with other species: The Scarlet Snake is often confused with the Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides) and Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius), but it is easy to distinguish between these three species look-alike species. The Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides) possesses colored rings that go entirely around its belly. The Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius) has a rounded black snout and its red rings touch its yellow rings.