Most adult Red-bellied Mudsnakes are 40–54 inches (102–137 cm) in total length, with a record length recorded of 81.4 inches (207 cm). Adults are large, thick bodied, and quite beautiful. The body is mostly glossy black (iridescent blue in the sunlight) with the ends of 53 or more red to pink bars from the belly extending onto the sides. The belly typically has a pattern consisting of alternating black and red or pink bars. However, individuals in parts of Northern Central Florida often have white on the bellies instead of the usual red or pink color. The tip of the tail ends in a pointed, horny scale. The scales of the body are mostly smooth, and there are 19 scale rows at midbody. The neck is thick and indistinct. The scales on the upper and lower lips, chin, and throat are yellowish and each has a dark spot. The pupil is round and the iris is red. Juveniles are similar in appearance to adults, but the red to pink bars from the belly extend higher onto their sides.

Red-bellied Mudsnakes prefer habitats with still or slow-moving freshwater such as cypress swamps, drainage ditches, canals, marshes, rivers, and lakes. These primarily aquatic snakes are especially fond of waters with dense aquatic vegetation and with muddy bottoms and banks, but they will also enter tidal creeks and other areas with brackish water. Adults and juveniles of this species are occasionally found in suburban neighborhoods where development encroaches into favorable habitats.

These docile snakes do not bite in defense. If approached or cornered, Red-bellied Mudsnakes will try to escape and may strike with a closed mouth as a bluff. If captured, they may press the pointed but harmless tail tip against the attacker, and they may release foul-smelling musk from two glands in the base of the tail.

Red-bellied Mudsnakes are nocturnal (active at night) and feed primarily on large aquatic salamanders such as amphiumas and sirens, but they occasionally eat frogs and fish. Juveniles likely eat small salamanders, small frogs, and tadpoles. Prey are swallowed alive without constriction.

In Florida, females can lay 4–111 eggs, but the average clutch size is around 30. Females construct a nesting cavity in loose soil or debris and stay with the eggs until they hatch. Nests of American alligators are favorite nesting sites for these snakes. The eggs typically hatch between August and October.

Two subspecies of Red-bellied Mudsnakes are currently recognized.

• Eastern Mudsnake (Farancia abacura abacura)– Eastern Mudsnakes are found throughout Florida, except the Florida Keys. In the extreme western Panhandle this subspecies interbreeds with the Western Mudsnake (Farancia abacura reinwardtii).
• Western Mudsnake (Farancia abacura reinwardtii)– In Florida, Western Mudsnakes occur only in the extreme western Panhandle, where they interbreed with Eastern Mudsnakes and possess intermediate characteristics of both subspecies. They typically have 52 or fewer red to pink bars from the belly extending onto the sides.

Red-bellied Mudsnakes can be locally abundant in parts of their range, including in residential areas. However, these secretive and highly aquatic snakes are rarely seen.  Occasionally they can be found crossing roads between bodies of water, usually on rainy nights.

Some people believe that this snake has a stinger on the tip of the tail.  However, this is not the case. The pointy scale on the tip of the tail is completely harmless.

Red-bellied Mudsnakes are likely the source of the myth of the “hoop snake” with its venomous tail. According to the tale, the snake grabs its tail in its mouth and, like a hoop or a bicycle tire, rolls downhill toward its unlucky victim. At the last second, the snake releases its grip on its tail and straightens out like a javelin to hurl tail first into its victim. It is said that the only way a person can avoid this deadly skewering is to dodge behind a tree, into which the snake will drive its tail. So venomous is the tail that the tree promptly dies from the venom. This colorful piece of cultural fiction is not well-known in Florida, possibly because Florida has very few hills that a hoop snake could roll down, but more likely because anyone familiar with Red-bellied Mudsnakes recognizes that they are one of the most docile large snakes found in the state.

County data coming soon.

If you have a new or interesting observation for this species, please email the herpetology staff at the Florida Museum.

Ernst, C.H. and E.M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC. 668 pp.

Krysko, K.L., K.M. Enge, and P.E. Moler. 2019. Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida. 706 pp.

Powell, R., R. Conant, and J.T. Collins. 2016. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Fourth edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, Boston and New York. xiv + 494 pp.