Description: Dorsally, rainbow snakes have smooth, glossy bluish-black back scales, with three red stripes. They have short tails, with a spiny tip which they sometimes use as a probe. Adults may show yellow coloration along the sides and on the head. They usually grow to a total length (including tail) of 36-48 inches, although some specimens have been recorded up to 66 inches in total length. Females are larger than males.
Habitat: Rainbow snakes are found in aquatic habitats ranging from cypress swamps and marshes to blackwater creeks, slow-moving streams, and sandy coastal plain.
Range:F. erytrogramma is found from southern Maryland to southeastern Louisiana, including eastern Virginia, southeastern North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida, Alabama, and Mississippi. A small population once inhabited the Lake Okeechobee region in southern Florida, but was declared extinct on October 5, 2011. One was seen at the Ocala National Forest, in Marion County, in early 2020 and the sighting was confirmed by the National Museum of Florida as the first in 50 years at this location.
Diet: Rainbow snakes subsist mainly on eels, but also prey on fish, earthworms, small frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders. They eat their prey alive, usually swallowing them head first.
Reproduction: Adult female rainbow snakes usually lay their eggs in July, leaving them underground in sandy soil. A clutch consists of around 20 eggs on average, but large females may lay over 50. The young are hatched in late summer or fall.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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