Florida wildlife officials need your help to report sightings of a nonvenomous snake whose population has declined in recent decades.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the "elusive" rainbow snake is semi-aquatic, primarily feeding on American eels, which have also declined in Florida waters.
Experts said the snakes' dependency on eels, along with habitat loss, has contributed to a reduced population in Florida.
The FWC also said that snake fungal disease is impacting rainbow snake populations in other states, raising concerns about the species' long-term survival.
"We need help from Floridians and visitors to better understand where rainbow snakes still occur in the state," Kevin Enge, a research scientist with FWC's Fish and Wildlife Research Institute, said. "Every sighting report gives us valuable data about their current distribution and helps us assess the health of the species in Florida."
Officials said rainbow snakes are "visually striking and difficult to mistake" from other species because of their iridescent black or violet-blue color with three red stripes along their back.
The snakes' lip and chin scales are yellow, marked with violet spots, with adults typically reaching about 3 to 4 feet in length.
"These snakes are usually found in or near water, including rivers, springs and brackish marshes. One South Florida subspecies was historically found in Fisheating Creek in Glades County," FWC said in a statement released Monday. "That location is more than 150 miles south of the nearest known population in Lake County, but hasn't been documented since 1952."
If you spot a rainbow snake in Florida, you are asked to report your sighting to the FWC.
The agency said photographs are especially helpful in confirming sightings and can be included when you submit your sighting online.
