The Mud Snake is a species of colubrid snake that is native to the South-Eastern United States in places such as Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.
This species is considered to be semi-aquatic as they are excellent swimmers and will spend a good bit of time in the water.
With their dark coloration and very bright contrasting patterning, it would be easy to assume that these snakes might be dangerous. However, they are non-venomous and completely harmless.
Mud Snake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Mud Snake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Pine Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The genus that the Mud Snake belongs to is called Farancia. There are currently only two species in this genus, the Mud Snake and the Rainbow Snake.
Both of the species in this genus are native to the South-Eastern United States.
Species
The scientific name for the Mud Snake is Farancia abacura and there are currently two recognised sub-species.
The sub-species are the Eastern Mud Snake (Farancia abacura abacura) and the Western Mud Snake (Farancia abacura reinwardtii).
The species was first described in 1836 by an American herpetologist named John Edwards Holbrook.
Mud Snake Description
The Mud Snake is a medium sized colubrid snake that can grow to around three to four feet in length with females typically being heavier bodied than males.
While their dark coloration with bright vibrant patterning gives the impression of a poisonous animal, these snakes are non-venomous and harmless to humans.
They usually have a shiny black background color that can sometimes appear more like a dark grey.
The most spectacular feature of these snakes is their vibrant bright patterning which is usually red but can appear pinker or salmon in color.
The belly of the snake also consists of bars or a checkered-like pattern of the dark and light contrasting coloration of the snake.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Mud Snake is native to the South-Eastern United States with both sub-species having their own geographical ranges.
These snakes can be found as far West as the Eastern parts Texas and their range extends through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and down into Florida.
Further North, these snakes can be found in States such as Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.
They share some of their geographical range with species such as the Banded Water Snake, the Brahminy Blind Snake, the American Alligator and the Cottonmouth.
The Eastern Mud Snakes range starts on the border between Mississippi and Alabama. Their range extends through Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina.
The Western Mud Snake can be found from Eastern Texas into Louisiana and Mississippi. Their range extends Northwards into Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky and Southern Illinois.
These snakes like to live in wet swampy areas but they can also be found around lakes, ponds, rivers or marshes with wet muddy soil.
They use the soft wet mud to burrow themselves in and this is where the snake gets its common name.
Mud Snake Behaviour
The behaviour of a Mud Snake can vary depending on their location. For example, snakes in the Southern portion of their range are active year-round while snakes further North have to hibernate during the colder months.
They are a semi-aquatic species and will spend a large amount of time in water but are also just as comfortable along the muddy banks of their water source.
This snake is primarily nocturnal, meaning they are mostly active during the night and sleep during the day time.
However, there activity level is seen to increase during the day on occasions. It is not fully known why their behaviour changes like this.