Description: They will grow to be 8 to 10 inches with the largest being 16 inches. They look similar to the ring-necked snake because of the red belly and the ring around its neck. it is distinguished from them because the Florida redbelly snake has a stripe down its back and is brown while the ring-necked snake has no stripe and is gray. This secretive snake has a dorsal color of tan to russet. The venter is red orange to yellow belly. There may be 3 light spots on the nape but these are normally fused into a collar. This snake may flatten the body and head, form an S or a loose coil, and roll its upper labial (lip) scales upwards when frightened. Use range when attempting subspecies differentiation.

Habitat: they are found in pinelands, bogs, marshes, ponds, and swamps.

Range: ranges from the northern peninsula to southern Florida.

Found in these States: AL | AR | FL | GA | LA | MS | TN | TX

Diet: diet of this species consists primarily of slugs and snails but earthworms are also eaten.

Reproduction: Studies of the redbelly snake have determined that it reproduces annually, and females have been found to be gravid during spring and early summer. While body size varies throughout the redbelly snake's geographic range, the average clutch size tends to remain the same with an average of 7 to 9 eggs per clutch. The redbelly snake begins mating at around two years of age and must be a minimum 8.7 inches in order to reach sexual maturity.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a degree of habitat modification, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category

Taxonomy: