Local snake information

Snake control in Florida

Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.

Snakes in Florida: what to know

Around Florida

Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.

What to note

Where you see snakes, how long it has been going on, and anything you’ve already tried are the most useful details to mention.

A useful next step

Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to identify the problem yourself before getting in touch.

Local research

Snakes in Florida: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which snakes actually live in Florida, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

About 50; 6 venomous

Native snake species

Eastern diamondback, timber, pygmy rattlesnakes; copperhead; cottonmouth; coral snake.

UF/IFAS Extension

Eastern diamondback, pygmy rattlesnake, cottonmouth, coral snake

Species found statewide

Copperheads only in a small Panhandle area west of Tallahassee; timber rattlesnakes only north of about Gainesville.

UF/IFAS Extension

License required

Possessing venomous reptiles

Eastern indigo snake is protected as threatened.

Florida FWC

Snake species recorded in Florida

Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) — Statewide in Virginia and common in gardens and woodlots; the most common venomous species in the Mid-Atlantic. In Florida only the western Panhandle.
Cottonmouth (water moccasin) (Agkistrodon piscivorus) — Throughout Florida; in Virginia only south and east of Petersburg in wet areas. Georgia lists both northern and Florida cottonmouths.
Eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) — Throughout Florida; largest eastern venomous snake.
Timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) — State endangered in Virginia (canebrake population in the southeast); northern Florida only as far south as Gainesville.

When snakes are busiest in Florida

Year-round activity; peaks spring and fall.

44 of 50 native species are nonvenomous rodent predators.

Rules that apply in Florida

For context, nationally

7,000-8,000; about 5 deaths — Venomous snakebites per year in the U.S.. CDC/NIOSH
10-44 percent — Rattlesnake bite victims with lasting injury. CDC/NIOSH

Sources: Recognizing Florida's Venomous Snakes (WEC 202/UW229); Florida FWC; CDC/NIOSH; Nuisance wildlife: Snakes. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore Florida cities

Boca Raton

Tropical · suburban setting

Snake control in Florida

Snakes in Florida: what to know

Around Florida

What to note

A useful next step

Snakes in Florida: what the public record shows

Snake species recorded in Florida

When snakes are busiest in Florida

Rules that apply in Florida

For context, nationally

Explore Florida cities

Boca Raton

Cape Coral

Clearwater

Coral Gables

Coral Springs

Davie

Fort Lauderdale

Gainesville

Hialeah

Hollywood

Jacksonville

Kissimmee

Lakeland

Melbourne

Miami

Miami Gardens

Miramar

Orlando

Palm Bay

Pembroke Pines

Pompano Beach

Port St. Lucie

St. Petersburg

Tallahassee

Tampa

West Palm Beach

Ocala

Sarasota

Ask about snake control in Florida