'They Don't Disturb Anyone': It's Rattlesnake Season In South Florida But There's No Reason To Be Alarmed
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Did you know this is a very busy time of year for rattlesnakes; it's their breeding season.
You're more likely to see a rattlesnake during summer and fall because males are out and about searching for a mate and females are giving birth to live young, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
However, despite it being rattlesnake season, it's pretty rare to see a rattlesnake in South Florida.
According to Captain Jeffrey Fob with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Venom Response Team, there was a rattlesnake sighting last week in the extreme southern end of the county near SW 344th Street. It was about two or three feet long.
That is where most rattlesnake populations are in South Florida, according in Capt. Fob. However, he told CBSMiami.com, there is also a population of rattlesnakes near SW 152nd Street in the Pinelands near Zoo Miami but 'they don't disturb anyone.'
They live mostly in undeveloped land south of Homestead and some are in the Everglades as well.
Capt. Fob says rattlesnake bites in Miami-Dade "are a rarity." He says they are actually quite beautiful.
South Florida is also home to Pygmy rattlesnakes but nobody ever sees them, says Capt. Fob.
"We are more likely to die in a car accident then be injured by wildlife here," he said.
All native snakes play an important part in our ecosystem, and should be left alone and admired from a distance.
Snake bite season runs from April to October in Florida. There are about 50 species in the state but only six are venomous: the eastern diamondback rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake, dusky pygmy rattlesnake, eastern coral snake, Florida cottonmouth or water moccasin, and southern copperhead snakes
Most Florida snakes are harmless and beneficial and remove extra rodent populations. Even the venomous species are not particularly dangerous unless stepped on or otherwise provoked.
