Nerodia floridana
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Green Watersnake sighting in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 17th most-seen of the 35 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January and March
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Florida Green Watersnake in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and October–November, the lowest months. Those are among Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge's driest months, with about 60 mm of rain a month against 210 mm in September.
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.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Florida Green Watersnake sightings, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Big Cypress National Preserve (United States, about 40%) and Everglades National Park (United States, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Florida Green Watersnake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (22 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.
