OCALA, Fla. — A hiker caught a rare sight on a recent walk through the Ocala National Forest -- a 4-foot long rainbow snake.
While colorful, rainbow snakes are not venomous.
The Florida Museum of Natural History said it is the first sighting of the species since 1969.
Rainbow snakes typically burrow near creeks, lakes and marshes. They feed on eels and are also called “eel moccasins.”
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials said the snake was seen on the move because of a recent water reduction of a nearby reservoir.
“Rainbow snakes are highly-aquatic, spending most of their life hidden amongst aquatic vegetation; seldom seen, even by herpetologists, due to their cryptic habits,” wildlife officials wrote on social media.