Nerodia floridana
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Nerodia floridana, commonly known as the Florida green watersnake, or eastern green watersnake, is a harmless species of snake in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southeastern United States.
N. floridana is the largest watersnake in North America. Fully grown it will typically reach 76–140 cm (30–55 in) in total length (including tail), with the record-sized specimen having measured 188 cm (74 in) in total length. Its coloration is solid grey or greenish-brownish with a white or yellow belly in adults, which darkens in color under the tail. Encircling the lower half of the eye is a row of scales, which is separate from the upper lip scales. Among all southeastern U.S. snakes, only the green water snake has this feature. Juveniles have typically, about 50 dark crossbars on the dorsum and on the sides, which fade gradually with age.
N. floridana is found in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. In southern South Carolina it is commonly found in open, marshy wetland areas. It is rarely found in rivers or streams. It prefers choked vegetation and calm waters such as swamps... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Cypress National Preserve | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Everglades National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zoo Miami | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Green Watersnake sighting in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, based on 117 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 37 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and June–July
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Green Watersnake in Big Cypress National Preserve on a given day, against about 30% in August and October–November, the lowest months. Those are among Big Cypress National Preserve's wettest months, with about 180 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in March.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Florida Green Watersnake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Florida Green Watersnake sightings, Big Cypress National Preserve has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Everglades National Park (United States, about 30%) and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (United States, about 10%).
Same genus: Nerodia
The closest relatives of the Florida Green Watersnake that you can see in Big Cypress National Preserve (genus Nerodia, Watersnakes) are Banded Water Snake (about 60%) and Brown Watersnake (about 50%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Green Watersnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Big Cypress National Preserve (117 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
