Based on a small series of specimens that he collected (total of 3 in the late 40s and early 50s), Wilfred T. Neill described the Southern Florida Rainbow Snake,
Farancia erytrogramma seminola, in 1964.
Found by Neill in a fairly large (but not always flowing) creek in southern Florida, Neill based his diagnosis on the greater amount of black pigment on the venter and lower sides of this subspecies when compared with the more northerly common rainbow snake. Reportedly an obligate eel-eater, the perceived or actual rarity (this snake was declared extinct by US Fish and Wildlife Service biologists on October 5, 2011) might be due to a reduced number of eels in the waterway.
Despite the edict issued by USFWS, several attempts have been since made by private individual and conservation organizations to find this subspecies. Although all efforts have failed, rewards for verified sightings have been offered and hope that this snake will again be found continues.
More photos under the jump...
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