Tantilla relicata Photo Barry Mansell ©
These small (6-to-7 inch) light brown, glossy snakes have a dark-colored head and neck. A flattened head and recessed lower jaw allows them to push through sandy soil in search of beetle larvae and other small invertebrates.
Crowned snakes are common in north and central Florida, and along parts of the Gulf coast. They are typically found in pine sandhills and uplands with well drained sandy soils, sometimes in the sandy mounds of pocket gophers or in the sand aprons of gopher tortoise mounds.
These small snakes have mildly toxic saliva, presumably this helps them subdue their insect prey, however their bite is not dangerous to humans or pets.
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