The good thing about the coronavirus pandemic is that mother nature is healing and animals that we have not spotted for many years are showing up again.

Not only that, but our planet is also recovering from the constant abuse that it has seen for many many years.

The rainbow snake has not been seen in the Ocala National Forest since 1969, but recently, it was seen slithering across the park.

The snake was seen for the first time in 51 years.

Rainbow snakes are known as very great swimmers and they are also known as eel moccasin, that’s why they spend most of their time in the water.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute said:

Rainbow snakes are highly-aquatic, spending most of their life hidden amongst aquatic vegetation; seldom seen, even by herpetologists, due to their cryptic habits.

The rainbow snake is known to eat toads, frogs, tadpoles, and many other aquatic creatures.

In a report that was published after the rainbow snake was discovered, they said:

In addition to being a strong swimmer, the reptile is a proficient burrower as well. It grows to about 36-48 inches (91–122 cm) in length, with larger specimens reaching up to 66 inches (168 cm). They are said to inhabit tidal mud flats, creeks, lakes and marshes.

The discovery was shared by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute on Facebook.

In the post, they informed their fans and about how they happy they were about the discovery.

They said:

A Rare Sighting! Tracey Cauthen recently reported stumbling upon a ~4 ft Rainbow Snake, Farancia erytrogramma, while hiking in the Ocala National Forest. The Florida Museum of Natural History confirms this is the first record of this species in Marion County since 1969! Our biologists speculate the recent drawdown of Rodman Reservoir had this rainbow snake on the move. Rainbow snakes are highly-aquatic, spending most of their life hidden amongst aquatic vegetation; seldom seen, even by herpetologists, due to their cryptic habits. Burrowing near creeks, lakes, marshes, and tidal mudflats, rainbow snakes specialize in eating eels, earning the nickname “eel moccasin”.

The rainbow snake is believed to have come out because of a recent change in the water levels at the Rodman reservoir, which is near the Ocala National Forest.

Share this amazing news with your family by sharing it!

Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below!