Habitat of the Rainbow Snake

The rainbow snake is an aquatic animal that inhabits the coastal plains of the United States, beginning in southern Virginia and extending to eastern Louisiana. Since this snake doesn't bask in the sun like many other snakes and has a secretive nature, it is rarely seen. If you do come across one, don't be afraid. Rainbow snakes don't bite and they aren't venomous.

  1. Identification

    • A large snake, the rainbow snake can grow to be up to 5 1/2 feet in length. Females tend to be larger in size than the males, but the males have longer, thicker tails. Often considered one of the most visually attractive snakes in the U.S., adult rainbow snakes display smooth, glossy black scales with three red stripes down their back and a red or pink belly with two to three rows of black spots. You will notice yellow on the heads and sides of most of these snakes. They also have small, black eyes and pointed tails. Immature rainbow snakes don't have the yellow coloration on their heads and sides but otherwise look like adult snakes.

    Habitat

    • Rainbow snakes spend most of their time in watery habitats, most commonly in cypress swaps, black water creeks, streams and rivers. However, sometimes they live in saltwater habitats such as marshes, bay shores and inlets in coastal areas. They find shelter in woody debris that floats near the edges of the water or in submerged vegetation. Though highly aquatic, rainbow snakes will travel across land at night, usually to find another body of flowing water. If they do stay on dry land for a long period of time, they burrow into sandy soils near marshy areas.

    Food Sources

    • Adult rainbow snakes mostly hunt and eat eel, but they will also feed on small frogs, tadpoles and salamanders. They don't kill their prey first, but swallow it alive, head first. Immature rainbow snakes feast on tadpoles, salamanders and other small amphibians.

    Reproduction

    • While scientist know little about the behavior of these secretive snakes, they do know a little about how they reproduce. A female rainbow snakes lays approximately 20 eggs in a nest. However, a large snake may lay over 50 eggs. The baby snakes hatch in late summer or autumn, but they may spend the winter inside the nest before emerging. In South Carolina, the young rainbow snakes have been observed inhabiting seasonal wetlands with heavy vegetation. When they reach adulthood, they move to more permanent bodies of water.