Glossy Crayfish Snake

Snapshot

A shiny, secretive Coastal Plain aquatic snake — 14–24 inches — with a yellowish belly marked by two rows of dark spots. Chisel-toothed crayfish eater. Non-venomous; rarely observed. Leave alone. (Older literature: Regina rigida.)

Photos

(Photos pending — see photos/glossy-crayfish-snake/MANIFEST.md.)

Description and identification

SREL: mid-sized, heavy-bodied, short-headed, large-eyed. Shiny brownish to olive; sometimes two faint light dorsal stripes. Yellowish venter with two rows of dark spots (vs one row in striped crayfish snake). Females larger; young miniature adults.

Look-alikes

Striped crayfish snake — one ventral spot row; extreme south GA/FL only. Queen snake — different region/habitat. Black swamp snake — solid black with bright red belly.

Range in Georgia

Southeastern Coastal Plain from eastern North Carolina to eastern Texas; absent from southern peninsular Florida; isolated Virginia population. Georgia: Coastal Plain wetlands. Full native range follows that Coastal Plain arc.

Full species range map

(Full native-range map pending — maps/glossy-crayfish-snake-full-range.png. Georgia occurrence in text; prefer GA DNR / SREL. Not Georgia-only art.)

Habitat preferences

Highly aquatic Coastal Plain wetlands: cypress swamps, Carolina bays, roadside ditches, and similar still or slow waters with crayfish. Leave vegetated wetland edges intact.

Natural history

Live-bearing crayfish specialist (Liodytes rigida; older literature Regina rigida). Females larger than males; young resemble miniature adults. Secretive; most often detected in traps or when cover at wetland edges is checked by researchers — not a snake to pursue.

Food preferences

Primarily crayfish; soft newly molted individuals are especially important for related crayfish snakes.

Temperament and encounters

Non-venomous wetland specialist. Give space along swamp margins; do not confuse with cottonmouths — glossy crayfish snakes are smaller, shiny olive-brown, with distinctive double ventral spot rows.

Conservation and legal notes

Protected throughout Georgia. Wetland integrity and crayfish populations matter.

In Georgia, non-venomous snakes are protected nongame wildlife. Per Georgia DNR materials summarizing O.C.G.A. §27-1-28, it is illegal (a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and a year in jail) to possess or kill many nongame wildlife species, including non-venomous snakes. It is also illegal to disturb or destroy dens, holes, or homes of wildlife (O.C.G.A. §27-1-30). Report what DNR states; do not invent statutes or exceptions.

Georgia DNR’s georgiasnakes overview notes that among native snakes discussed there, only the eastern indigo and southern hognose are state-listed as threatened (indigo is also federally threatened). Roads, habitat loss, and fear-based killing still harm common species; calm ID from a distance is conservation work.

If you meet one

Give the snake room. Identify from a distance; do not handle, poke, or try to kill it. Most encounters end when people simply step back. If relocation is truly needed, Georgia DNR points residents to private wildlife-removal specialists. Local educators — including community resources around Cartersville such as Etowah Valley Exotics when appropriate — can help with distant photo ID and outreach.

This species is not venomous. A defensive bite can still be painful — clean the wound and seek medical advice if needed — but it is not a pit-viper or coral-snake emergency. Leave wild snakes alone. Never pour gasoline or chemicals into holes (illegal under Georgia wildlife den-protection rules).