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Snakes (Suborder Serpentes)

Welcome to our Snake Guide! Believe it or not, we have 32 native species of snakes in Virginia, yet only three have venom that is dangerous to humans. How well do you know your local serpents?

​Frequency Rating: Ratings are based on how common each species is across their range within Virginia. Some common species may be incredibly abundant within their small range, while some may be common in most of their range but rare in a small portion of their range. Some rarer species may be abundant in pockets of their range, but are overall rare.
Common = C     Uncommon = U     Rare = R     Incredibly Rare = I

Pit Vipers (Subfamily Crotalinae)

Eastern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)    C    *Venomous*

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 28 - 44 inches
Range: Statewide 
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)     U     *Venomous*

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 30 - 48 inches
Range: Southern Coastal Plain
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)     R     *Venomous*

Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 30 - 60 inches
Range: Mountains of Virginia; Canebrake variation is found in Southern Coastal Plain
Status: Mountain variation is Tier IV | Canebrake variation is Tier II
More Info

Dipsadine Snakes (Subfamily Dipsadinae)

Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus)     C

Picture
​© Ty Smith
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus amoenus) | Midwestern Wormsnake (Carphophis amoenus helenae)
Size: 7.5 - 11 inches
Range: Eastern subspecies is found statewide; Midwestern subspecies found only in Lee Co.
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus)     C

Picture
​© Ty Smith
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: Northern Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii) | Southern Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus punctatus)
Size: 10 - 16 inches
Range: Statewide 
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Mud Snake (Farancia abacura)     R

Picture
​© Ty Smith
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Mud Snake (Farancia abacura abacura)
Size: 40 - 54 inches
Range: Southeastern VA
Status: Tier IV

Rainbow Snake (Farancia erytrogramma)     R

Picture
© Wayne Fidler
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Rainbow Snake (Farancia erytrogramma erytrogramma)
Size: 27 - 48 inches
Range: Eastern Coastal Plain
Status: Tier IV

Eastern Hognose (Heterodon platirhinos)     R

​Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 20 - 33 inches
Range: Statewide
Status: Tier IV

Colubrine Snakes (Subfamily Colubrinae)

North American Racer (Coluber constrictor)     C

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Northern Black Racer (​Coluber constrictor constrictor)
Size: 36 - 60 inches
Range: Statewide 
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus)     I

Picture
​© Bobby Fingers
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Northern Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus)
Size: 48 - 66 inches
Range: Areas in and around Craig and Bath Co. 
Status: Tier I | Possibly extirpated from VA
More Info

Central Ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis)     C

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 42 - 78 inches
Range: Statewide 
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Cornsnake (Pantherophis guttatus)      R

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 30 - 48 inches
Range: Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and northern Coastal Plain 
Status: Least Concern

Scarletsnake (Cemophora coccinea)     R

Picture
​© Bobby Fingers
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: Northern Scarletsnake (Cemophora coccinea copei)
Size: 14 - 20 inches
Range: Rare in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain
Status: Tier IV

Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides)     R

Picture
​© Bobby Fingers
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 14 - 22 inches
Range: Southern Piedmont, Blue Ridge, and Coastal Plain 
Status: Tier III
More Info

Eastern Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum)     U

Picture
© Tristan Clark
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 24 - 36 inches
Range: Mountains of the state
Status: Least Concern

"Coastal Plain Milksnake" (​Lampropeltis sp.)     I

Picture
​© Bobby Fingers
​​Recognized Subspecies in VA: N/A
Size: Probably 24 - 36 inches
Range: Coastal Plain and Eastern Shore
Status: Unknown
More Info

Mole Kingsnake (Lampropeltis rhombomaculata)     U

Picture
​© Ty Smith
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 30 - 42 inches
Range: Piedmont and Coastal Plain 
Status: Least Concern

Eastern Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula)     R

Picture
​© Ty Smith
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 32 - 60 inches
Range: Piedmont, Coastal Plain, and northern Blue Ridge 
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis nigra)     R

Picture
​© Logan Anderson
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 36 - 45 inches
Range: Cumberland Plateau  
Status: Tier III

Rough Greensnake (Opheodrys aestivus)     U

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 20 - 33 inches
Range: Statewide
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis)     U

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 12 - 22 inches
Range: Northern Valley and Ridge such as Highland, Bath, and Madison Co.
Status: Tier III

Southeastern Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata)     R

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 12 - 10 inches
Range: Southern Piedmont and Coastal Plain
Status: Tier IV

Natricine Snakes (Subfamily Natricinae)

Rough Earthsnake (Haldea striatula)     U

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 7 - 11 inches
Range: Coastal Plain and slightly into the eastern Piedmont
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Smooth Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae)     U

Picture
© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae valeriae) | Mountain Earthsnake (Virginia valeriae pulchra)
Size: 8 - 15 inches
Range: Statewide, but rare in southern Blue Ridge | Mountain subspecies is found in Highland Co.
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)     C

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 8 - 15 inches
Range: Statewide, but rare in Southwest VA
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata)     U

Picture
​© Ty Smith
​Recognized Subspecies in VA: Northern Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)
Size: 8 - 15 inches
Range: Statewide, but rare in Southwest VA
Status: Least Concern

Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis)     C

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Size: 18 - 28 inches
Range: Statewide, but rare on the Eastern Shore
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Eastern Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis saurita)     U

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Ribbonsnake (​Thamnophis saurita saurita)
Size: 18 - 36 inches
Range: Statewide
Status: Tier IV

Queensnake (Regina septemvittata)     R

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 15 - 26 inches
Range: Mountains, but rare in the Piedmont
Status: Tier IV

Glossy Swampsnake (Liodytes rigida)     I

Picture
​© Grover Brown
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Eastern Glossy Swampsnake (Liodytes rigida rigida)
Size: 14 - 20 inches
Range: Limited range in New Kent Co.
Status: Tier III

Plain-bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster)     C

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 30 - 48 inches
Range: Southern Coastal Plain 
Status: Least Concern

Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon)     C

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: Northern Watersnake (​Nerodia sipedon sipedon)
Size: 24 - 42 inches
Range: Statewide 
Status: Least Concern
More Info

Brown Watersnake (Nerodia taxispilota)     U

Picture
​© Ty Smith
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 30 - 60 inches
Range: Southern Coastal Plain 
Status: Least Concern

Asiatic Blindsnakes (Subfamily Asiatyphlopinae)

Brahminy Blindsnake (Indotyphlops braminus)       Exotic Transplant

Picture
​​© Josh Vandermeulen
Recognized Subspecies in VA: None
Size: 4 - 6 inches
Range: DWR recognizes a population in New Port News; as well as a well know record from Norfolk International Airport; but could pop-up in greenhouse
Status: Introduced
Picture
Herping Virginia encourages all naturalists to practice ethical, safe, and sustainable herping. The use of proper herping methods and techniques is beneficial to both wildlife and herpers. Visit the links below for more information.
Herping Virginia is based in Southside Virginia.
Contact: herpingvirginia@gmail.com
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