Taxon: Reptile 

Status: under review 

The rim rock crowned snake is a pinkish tan small-bodied snake that grows up to 7 to 9 inches.  It has a black cap, a tan to beige back, and a belly of pinkish-white to cream color.  Its head and neck are brown-black with a pale cream-tan snout.  Its scales are smooth. 

Conservation Challenges   

• Habitat loss due to residential and commercial development of unprotected habitat in eastern Miami-Dade County is expected to continue.  
• Fire suppression could degrade the quality of habitat available for the snake to find shelter, food, and reproduce.  
• Effects associated with climate change climate change
  Climate change includes both global warming driven by human-induced emissions of greenhouse gases and the resulting large-scale shifts in weather patterns. Though there have been previous periods of climatic change, since the mid-20th century humans have had an unprecedented impact on Earth's climate system and caused change on a global scale.
  
  Learn more about climate change , particularly sea level rise and saltwater intrusion, could make the entire range of the rim rock crowned snake vulnerable to effects from severe storms that contribute to increased flooding in low-lying areas.  In the Florida Keys, up to half of available habitat in the Upper Keys and nearly all habitat in the Lower Keys could be lost by 2040.  
• Predation by the coral snake and the slender brown scorpion  

Partnerships, Research and Projects   

The rim rock crowned snake is listed in the State of Florida as “state-designated threatened,” and is protected against intentional harm, harassment, possession, or selling.  In addition, the Florida’s Imperiled Species Management Plan created by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) addresses the conservation needs of the snake and other species through a comprehensive approach. The plan provides incidental take permitting standards and guidelines, and integrated conservation strategies and actions.  

Some habitat protections are currently in place for the rim rock crowned snake. Miami-Dade County’s Environmentally Endangered Lands Program and Natural Forest Communities program provide some protections for pine rocklands and other natural areas from development.  The program also funds land management to maintain and improve the habitat.  The Coral Reef Commons Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) was established within the Richmond Pine Rocklands proposed unit on private property.  As part of the plan and permit, the on-site preserves, which is the same as the area for proposed critical habitat designation, will be managed in perpetuity for pine rocklands habitat and sensitive and listed species, including the rim rock crowned snake. Monroe County implemented a Habitat Conservation Plan for Big Pine and No Name Keys in 2006, which requires development projects to fulfill the plan’s mitigation requirement of conserving native habitat such as pine rocklands. Additionally, suitable habitat for the rim rock crowned snake is protected within federal preserves such as Everglades National Park, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and the National Key Deer Refuge; although the rim rock crowned snake has only been documented in the National Key Deer Wildlife Refuge and Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge.