A longtime Floridian had an exhilarating encounter with an unusual reptile recently.
Outdoors enthusiast Thomas Leebo Holloway spotted a rainbow snake on June 19 that was taking a dip along the shores of Black Creek, a tributary of the St. Johns River in Clay County, about a half hour south from Jacksonville.
Holloway posted video of the beauty (Farancia erytrogrammona) on Facebook, and Unseen Florida — a page for nature lovers — re-posted it for its more than 172,000 followers to enjoy. In his 41 years of living in the Sunshine State, he said in the caption that this was the first one of its kind he’d ever seen.
That’s because this species is super rare.
Also known as an eel moccasin — due to a hankering for freshwater eels — the rainbow is a large, non-venomous snake that lives and nests near creeks, lakes and marshes. These “secretive” critters are also known for their ability to camouflage, which is why seeing one likely won’t happen in your lifetime, experts say.
“Rainbow snakes are highly aquatic, spending most of their life hidden amongst aquatic vegetation; seldom seen, even by herpetologists, due to their cryptic habits,” says an FWC post regarding a sighting in February 2020 in Ocala, the first since 1969.
If you are fortunate to get a glimpse, you’re in for an eyeful.
“Adults are large, thick bodied, and quite beautiful,” reads a description from the Florida Museum at the University of Florida in Gainesville. The museum goes on to explain that these snakes are mostly glossy bluish-black, with thin, red stripes running down the back and sides, a yellow throat and a sometimes pink underbelly.
Holloway’s awesome footage, taken with his Google Pixel 7 Pro camera, he said, captured the native stunner as it wiggled along the shore.
Underneath Unseen Florida’s post were many shocked face emojis and impressed commenters:
“An absolute unicorn, go play the lottery.”
“You lucky duck!!! It’s a dream. to see an indigo or a rainbow and, oh my gosh, look how beautiful!!!”
“That’s so wild!”
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