Baby gopher snake, Pituophis catenifer, very common throughout FishHawk Ranch. These are non-venomous snakes and are beneficial, although they will often hiss and rattle their tail like a rattlesnake when disturbed. They do not have rattles. They should not be destroyed.
A place to enjoy the flora and fauna of FishHawk Ranch, Lithia, FL. Residents are encouraged to submit photos, however, no people, pets, indoor plants or photos of homes. Let's keep this about the beauty of nature in our community!
Thanks for looking! Please stop by again, I will post new photos regularly. Click on photos for an enlarged view. ***To submit your own photos, click on the here.*** Steve Meador
Steve Books
Steve's popular book, Throwing Percy from the Cherry Tree, can be found in libraries around the country. It was an entrant for a Pulitzer Prize in poetry and a National Book Award. You can buy a signed copy here, along with his chapbooks, Pack Your Bags and A Good Sharp Knife. You will enjoy the writings of your FishHawk Ranch neighbor, writer and Realtor!
I also found one of these snakes in my front yard in Tampa while watering a bush. They look and act just like rattle snakes!!! They are very beneficial to our eco system so PLEASE do not kill them. Thank you Steve for posting this awesome photo that tremendously helped to identify it!!!
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