Snakes in Pinellas County

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Snakes in Pinellas County

SNAKES' LOSS OF HABITAT HURTS US ALL

There are twenty-eight species of snakes native to Pinellas County. Of these, only four are venomous. Some species such as the Eastern Kingsnake have disappeared from Pinellas. There are very few common species to be seen today as the destruction of habitat has decimated their numbers dramatically.

Snakes spend their time minding their own business, while their habitat shrinks.

Forty-five years ago, when I began developing my interest in snakes, the urban sprawl of St. Petersburg faded out at approximately 62nd Avenue North. Beyond that, the wild, undeveloped land spread north to Tampa Bay. The area east of U.S. 19 and south of the St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport was all classic pine flat woods with a number of lakes and wooded ditches. This was a perfect scenario for many species of snakes to flourish. It was not unusual for me to collect fifteen to twenty snakes in a good day of hunting. The first major intrusion to the area was the extension of Interstate 75 (now I-275) from the Howard Frankland Bridge through St. Pete. With the introduction of a major traffic artery through the area, the inevitable development began. To the north, Clearwater basically ended at State Road 590 and there was wooded area north to the county line at the Anclote River.

Today, while the twenty eight species are still recognized as being present in Pinellas County, most residents and visitors are not likely to see more than a few scattered remnants of what was once a viable population.

All but four of the twenty-eight species are harmless and are an important link in the food chain. A major contribution attributed to snakes is rodent control. The Florida King Snake is especially fond of devouring rattlesnakes!

Through the foresight of local and state governmental agencies, wild land has been purchased and set aside for parks, recreation areas and preserves. All wildlife is protected in these areas and there is a glimmer of hope that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will be able to enjoy the opportunity to see some wildlife in its native habitat rather than look at pictures in a book on extinct animals.

So please, if you see a snake, give it a wide berth and let it do the job it was put on earth for.