Note: The photos shown on this page were mostly provided by viewers who, in return for assistance in identifying the snake granted us exclusive use. We, in turn, permit the lawful use of these photos by others, with the strictly enforced proviso that attribution and a link to www.bugsinthenews.info be provided with each use.
Can You Identify This Snake?
Does the above pattern say anything to you? If you see a snake with these markings on a trail, will you know to give it a wide berth? Using the material that follows you will learn to tentatively identify snakes by their markings and coloration; numerous photos, like the above, are included for that purpose.
NOTE: THIS PAGE IS BEING REWRITTEN. ONCE THE REWRITE IS COMPLETE, IT WILL BE TRASHED AND THE REWRITT
Basic Guide To North American Snake Markings & Patterns
Several basic patterns are officially recognized by herpetologists who study and write about snakes native to North America, but–strangely–the nomenclature is not precisely defined. Besides the small number of official descriptors, many other expressions are used by herpetologists in an unofficial, almost off-hand way, to characterize the snakes they write about. I have attempted to include the wider range of descriptors in the list below. Keep in mind that this evolving work will change over time:
1. Unicolor, Unmarked, or Unpatterned: A single color to the scales, and usually the interstitial spaces between the scales, over the spine and sides of the snake, without any obvious markings; many unpatterned snakes have a single color to the scales and belly, or a paler or slightly different coloration to the interstitial spaces between the scales, and to the belly as well.
Many of our smallest snakes are unmarked; if you see a small, unmarked brown or gray snake, with a small head, in your garden, it is likely to be one of our harmless, small garden snakes. An all-black small snake with a small head, however, may be a venomous, melanistic, Texas coral snake.
Large, darkly colored, unmarked snakes are difficult to identify. Many species, both venomous and harmless, tend to darken with age and lose the patterns of their youth. If you meet such a snake, in your garden or on the trail, you will need to observe its head and tail to identify its species.
2. Spinal Blotch, Saddle, or Diamond: Relatively large square, rectangular, diamond-shaped, oval, or saddle-shaped markings, occupying more than eight dorsal scales [an important distinction made by Werler & Dixon, in their book, Texas Snakes], running in a single row down the snake’s spine.
The word “Diamond” is, by convention, used almost exclusively for the sometimes indistinct, often un-diamond-like markings along the spines of the western and eastern diamond-backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus adamanteus and C. atrox). The photo at the head of this article is of the spinal markings of a western diamond-backed rattlesnake, but there are no significant visible differences between the two species.
Many other snakes, both venomous and harmless, have diamond-like markings along their spines. Most of the harmless rat snakes, for example, have dark, sharply defined, spinal blotches or saddles that resemble diamonds. However, once you become familiar with the markings of a diamond-backed rattlesnake, you won’t likely mistake them for those found on our harmless Texas snakes.
3. Lateral Blotch: Relatively large square, rectangular, diamond-shaped, or oval markings, occupying more than eight dorsal scales, running in one or several rows longitudinally along the snake’s side (“saddle-shaped markings” are only descriptive of markings that occur along the spine of the snake, for obvious reasons, even though similarly shaped marks may be found along the snake’s sides).
Large markings on the sides of a snake are as useful as indicators of the snake’s identity as those along the snake’s spine. For many harmless snakes, such as the Texas rat, the bull snake, the Texas glossy snake, and the checkered garter snake, lateral blotches may be the first thing you notice.
4. Spot, or Speck: Not as large as a blotch, i.e., one that occupies less than eight dorsal scales, but that may occupy as few as a single dorsal scale and, in fact, may not fully occupy the scale it is confined to.
5. Band, or Ring: A band or ring of coloration that completely encircles the snake’s body.
The fact that a band or ring of coloration fully encircles a snake’s body isn’t immediately clear when you encounter the snake in the wild. It helps to become familiar with the markings of our snakes before you encounter them.
6. Crossband, Half-Ring, or Bar: A band or ring of coloration that passes laterally across the snake’s spine onto the snake’s sides, without fully crossing the snake’s belly.
Some crossbands, half-rings, and bars on the back and sides certain snake species clearly terminate before they reach the lower region of the snake’s side. Others extend all the way to the belly, and some even encroach on the belly, before they are interrupted.
7. Spinal Stripe: A longitudinally-oriented stripe or strip of coloration along the snake’s spine, often extending from the head to the tail.
8. Lateral Stripe: A longitudinally-oriented stripe or strip of coloration along the snake’s side, often extending from the head to the tail. Some snake species have several such stripes along their sides.
Examples:
western earth snake (Virginia valeriae elegans)
Above photo: Unicolor, Unmarked, or Unpatterned: western earth snake (Virginia valeriae elegans) adult, midbody; distinguished from the rough earth snake (Virginia striatula) by the latter’s cone-shaped head and keeled scales. NON-VENOMOUS, inoffensive, w..
rough green snake
Above photo: Unicolor, Unmarked, or Unpatterned: rough green snake (Opheodrys aestivus) adult, midbody. Texas has no unmarked blue snakes, but you may find a dead snake that is unmarked and blue; if you do, it is almost certainly one of our two unmarked green snakes; both turn blue at death. Only two species of green snakes are found in Texas; this one, and the the rare western smooth green snake that forms a relict population along the Gulf Coast; both are NON-VENOMOUS.
Texas coral snake
Above photo: Band or Ring: Texas coral snake (Micrurus fulvius tener) adult, midbody; the black, yellow, and red bands of this species extend around the body, including the undertail scales: “Red touch yellow, kill a fellow; red touch black, friend of Jack.” THIS IS A DANGEROUS, VENOMOUS SNAKE; if bitten, seek medical assistance immediately.
western diamondbacked rattlesnake tail with rattles
Above photo: Band or Ring: Western diamond-backed rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) adult, tail (note the rattles); the black bands on the tail of this species extend around the body, including the undertail scales, though they become a slightly paler shade of dark gray at the belly (a shade that continues to contrast sharply with the stark whiteness of the adjacent white bands). THIS IS A DANGEROUS, VENOMOUS SNAKE; if bitten, seek medical assistance immediately.
broad-banded water snake
Above photo: Crossband, Half-Ring, or Bar: Broad-banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata confluens) adult, midbody. Photo courtesy of Scott Copeland, Quinlan, Texas. This is a NON-VENOMOUS, essentially harmless snake, but keep in mind that a large specimen has strong jaws and numerous small teeth that, if provoked into biting, can produce a painful, bloody bite. Enjoy from a distance without attempting to handle it.
eastern hognosed snake
Above photo: Crossband, Half-Ring, or Bar: Eastern hog-nosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos) adult, midbody. This snake species presents with many different patterns and colorations, and this happens to be one of the less common patterns. When such a pattern is observed, the snake specimen should be fully identified by examining its head, not merely by relying on the mid-body markiings alone, as this same pattern is superficially like that of the broad-banded copperhead, a venomous and dangerous snake. The eastern hog-nosed snake is MILDLY VENOMOUS, as its saliva (which is used to anesthetize its prey) is capable of producing a transitory and somewhat painful swelling in humans if it bites. It has backward-pointing rear fangs, deep in its throat, that are almost impossible for an adult human to be affected by, but a small child could be injured by the fangs under certain circumstances (children put their fingers everywhere, so it is always wise to expect the unexpected). GOOD ADVICE: DO NOT ALLOW CHILDREN TO HANDLE THIS SNAKE.
western coachwhip
Above photo: Crossband, Half-Ring, or Bar: western coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum testaceus) adult, midbody. Note that this specimen, on this portion of the body, is unpatterned within each broad crossband (the crossbands are not starkly conspicuous, but two dark crossbands are visible in the photo, preceded at both extremities by portions of a lighter crossband, with one lighter crossband in midphoto), but its scales contrast with the interstitial spaces between them. It is more common for western coachwhips to exhibit narrow crossbands in the forward third of the body and to be otherwise unpatterned throughout the remainder of the body. Harmless
canebrake rattlesnake
Above photo: Jagged-edged crossbands: timber rattlesnake [in Texas, more properly known as the canebrake subspecies, which prefers thick riparian brambles to open woodland] (Crotalus horridus) adult, midbody. Venomous
Great Plains ground snake
Above photo: Bold, Narrow Crossbands: Great Plains ground snake (Sonora semiannulata semiannulata) adult, hindbody (the same pattern is exhibited in the fore and midbody regions). Harmless
western cottonmouth
Above photo: Ill-defined crossbands: western cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma) adult, midbody. Note the similarity with the hourglass pattern on the southern copperhead, a member of the same genus as the western cottonmouth (shown elsewhere on this page). Photo courtesy of Scott Copeland, Quinlan, Texas. Venomous
Texas rat snake
Above photo: Blotch, Saddle, or Diamond: Texas rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimeri) adult, midbody. Harmless
prairie king snake
Above photo: Blotch, Saddle, or Diamond: prairie kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster) adult, midbody. The prairie kingsnake has 50 or more irregular spinal saddles, and its sides are marked with even more jagged spots; the serpent darkens with age. Harmless
Sonoran gopher snake
Above photo: Blotch, Saddle, or Diamond: Sonoran gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer affinis) adult, midbody. The Sonoran gopher snake is similar, at midbody, to the prairie kingsnake, the bull snake, the Texas night snake, the Texas glossy snake, and the Great Plains rat snake. It is distinguished from these by the fact that its blotches reduce to half-rings at the tail (a feature that it shares with the bull snake) and that its blotches darken noticeably from midbody to the tail, where they are almost black (a feature the bull snake does not have). Harmless
Blotched water snake
Above photo: Spinal Blotch, Saddle, or Diamond: blotched water snake (Nerodia erythrogaster transversa) adult, midbody. Photo courtesy of Scott Copeland, Quinlan, Texas. Harmless
eastern hognosed snake
Above photo: Blotch, Saddle, or Diamond: eastern hog-nosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos) adult, midbody. Note that this species exhibits considerable variation from one specimen to the other. Many other snake species are similarly variable in coloration and marking. Harmless
eastern hognosed snake tail
Above photo: Alternating light and dark half-rings: eastern hog-nosed snake (Heterodon platirhinos) adult, tail. Note that the rings are paler toward the bottom, where the lateral scales approach the belly; they fade completely at the belly. Harmless
western diamondbacked rattlesnake
Above photo: Diamonds: Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) adult, mid-body. Venomous
western diamondbacked rattlesnake 2
Above photo: Diamonds: Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) adult, mid-body. Photo courtesy of Scott Copeland, Quinlan, Texas. Venomous
southern copperhead
Above photo: Hourglass: Southern copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix) adult, midbody. The hourglass marking is a kind of crossband or half-ring, but in many southern copperhead specimens the portion of the crossband on one side of the snake stops abruptly at the spine, without crossing over to the other side. Venomous
desert king snake
Above photo: Spot, or Speckle: desert king snake (Lampropeltis getula splendida) adult, midbody. Photo courtesy of Scott Copeland, Quinlan, Texas. Harmless
buttermilk racer
Above photo: Spot, or Speckle: buttermilk racer (Coluber constrictor anthicus) adult, midbody. This curious marking consists of an olive, steel-blue, aqua, slate, or brown background color speckled randomly with white, tan, yellow, or gray scales; each scale is, in general, a single color. Only this species exhibits this unique marking. Harmless
checkered garter snake
Above photo: Spinal and lateral stripes, with square spots: checkered garter snake (Thamnophis marcianus marcianus) adult, midbody. Note that the bright yellow spinal stripe is unusually thin, covering less than the width of a single scale; it is bordered on either side by a double row of square or rectangular black spots that are distinctly separate from one another to produce a checkerboard pattern. Harmless
eastern blacknecked garter snake
Above photo: Stripes and spots: eastern black-necked garter snake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis ocellatus) adult, midbody. Note that the bright red-orange spinal stripe is bordered by a double row of black spots that merge with one another to produce what appears at first to be a broken set of vertical white marks. If you squint your eyes to blur the image you will immediately see the rows of black spots on a white background; these are much more obvious in the juvenile. Harmless
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For additional information, please feel free to contact Jerry via telephone or E-mail. Please also consider leaving a detailed comment in the space provided below.
Hi. I found a snake in my yard. It was dark orange on its belly, 15 inches long, dark grey on top, with an orange band arround its neck. Can you tell me what kind of snake it is?
Carol
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Carol
Assuming you are in North America, the only adult snake with the coloration and nuchal (neck) ring you described is the ring-necked snake in the genus Diadophis. Look at the post on the prairie ring-necked snake and see if that doesn’t look like your specimen.
Jerry
I live in the eastern part of Texas and I saw a black snake with green spots on it and a white belly. Can you tell me what kind of snake this is?
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MC, tell me more about the snake, its size, behavior, were it was and what it was doing when you saw it.
Jerry
Seen a mean,bold snake that stood his ground and would strike out if given the chance.I can’t find this snake on the internet. I’d like to know what it is for sure. All I can tell you is that it seemed very mad with mouth wide open and coiled.It’s mouth open was white.It was a two-color snake.Very black on top but on the side it was bright copperish all the way.White belly.It had some small black dots on it’s shiny copper side intermingled with the copper color.No picture of it.(Forgot)The copper color was the color of a brand new shiny penny.Very definate black from head to tail on the top as best as I remember with the long broad copper sides in the coiled position. It was 3 to 4 feet long when it finally decided to git lost into a driveway water pipe at the street about ten feet away.
Please tell me What kind of snake this is.
It was between the small city of Penelope and Hubbard east of Waco on 4/26/2010
I was wading a creek a few days ago when a small snake (about 12-16 inches long) crossed my path. It had a very wedged head compared to its body and had distinct narrow orange bands on its black body. Any help identifying? Found in the woodlands of Dallas, TX.
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Ryan
None of the serpents native to Texas have black bodies, with narrow orange bands, alone. Thus, what you saw as narrow orange bands were probably supplemented with other marks and colorations that you did not notice at the time.
At least fifteen possibilities exist. Rather than list those, may I suggest you keep your digital camera handy for next time, so you have a permanent record of what you see. It is difficult, nigh unto impossible even, to recall from memory alone a sufficiently detailed description of a snake seen in the wild to enable a good identification of it later.
Jerry
Jerry:
I found–that is, I saw–a black snake with yellow stripes 3 feet long. Moved fast past me. I’ve tried, but cannot find any info on it. I have children that play in the yard. Is this a poisonous snake I need to be worried about?
Rhoda
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Rhoda
You don’t say where you are located, so my remarks are appropriate to North America, particularly north of Mexico, but not to Central or South America or anyplace else. In North America, none of our native serpents that have bright yellow, red, or orange stripes (lengthwise markings, as contrasted with bands that encircle the snake’s body, or at least appear to do so), on a dark brown or black body, are venomous. The majority of such snakes are ribbon or garter snakes in the genus Thamnophis. They prey on anurans, other snakes, and toads.
Jerry
I saw a small (8″-10″) sky blue with whitish grey underside snake, while walking in my local park, near a pond, in Garland, Texas. The snake was dead, but recently dead. It had a small puncture wound in it’s side. What kind of snake?
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Beccye
None of our native Texas snakes have a blue body when alive, but our two species of green snakes both turn blue when dead.
Jerry
[...] I’ve found this great website that teaches how to identify snake markings and patterns. It covers snakes all over North America, so good for anyone to read up on before taking a hike in [...]
Found a small 4-6 inch snake on the sidewalk. No markings. No stripe Appears to be greyish brown. Maybe a Texas Brown Snake? How can I distinguish this guy from a baby copperhead? Do baby cooperheads have the typical adult markings?
guess, I should have added a couple more facts. It rained yesterday about 2 inches. Lots of earthworms out too. The sidewalk is bounded on both sides by mulched flowerbeds. (potential food source)
Hello, I live near Houston, Texas Actually Spring,Texas north of Houston. Found another 3.-4 foot snake curled up on sidewalk in front of pool. It looked all black with a diamond shaped head. It has been very warm down here but had a hard night rain night before we found this snake needless to say it was gone a little bit later on. Any ideas what kind of snake? Have children in yard!
I have a Koi pond that I keep a net over since a blue heron has been raiding it for lunch. This afternoon I found a snake tangled up in the net. It is black on top with a yellow belly about two feet long. Can you tell me if it is venomous and what type? Thanks.
I saw a bunch of 10 inch snakes. They were black with a few red/orange marking on there sides. There was one that was bigger, probally about 2 feet long. Some were in the water. Can you tell me what kind of snake that is?
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Editor’s note: The broad-banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata confluens) has the markings and colorations mentioned by the commenter, and is known to engage in mating congregations such as the one described. This snake is not venomous, and is a common inhabitant of aquatic settings in Texas.
Hello: Just got back from a bike ride on George Bush Park west of Houston. Saw a very dark snake (possibly black) with orange bands encircling its body about 5-6 inches apart. It was swimming in a water-filled ditch by the side of the trail. I Googled Texas snakes when I got back but couldn’t identify it. Any clue what it was? Thanks.
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Editor’s Note: Very likely you saw a broad-banded water snake (Nerodia fasciata confluens). See the material at
http://www.bugsinthenews.com/Texas%20Snake%20Web/Broad-banded%20Water%20Snake%20(Nerodia%20fasciata%20confluens)%20041107%20Cinco%20Ranch%20Katy%20Texas%20Christer%20R.htm
for more information on that species.
jc
I was workout walking at Far South of Euless near rugged and plenty of water sources(swamp, canals, and stream. Out of my corner of my eye, most of black over it with some red/orange speckles on back of it suudden zoom out of my way. I said myself that is no way it can go so fast in blinking and so long. I suspect it had do with hot weather make them easy to crawl out so fast. I suspect it can be gopher snake or rat snake but I still look for pictures of Texas snake to make sure which one is right. I also think it may be one of water snake due to canal nearly. Thank you for read and reply my asking. Good day.
We live in The Woodlands, TX (45 miles north of Houston). We saw a black snake with a few white dots in our back yard. We cannot find anything similar to it in books and web sites about Texas snakes. Thank you.
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Editor’s Note: Your snake was very likely a buttermilk racer (Coluber constrictor anthicus), a harmless and relatively mild-mannered snake. It is common to receive reports of that species from The Woodlands, Spring, and from Conroe, where the species is plentiful, and rare to receive reports from elsewhere in Texas. Most sightings are of a light colored background with random dots, but sometimes the snake is colored as yours was, dark with a few white dots.
Jerry
I am visiting family in Palestine, Texas and we found a snake that is about 18 inches long. He had a brown head with black spots and very large eyes. His throat was pale with speckles and his body was charcoal grey to black. His tail was darker then his body. He was pure silver underneath, it seemed to glow. We caught him and opened his mouth. There were no fangs that we could see. Does anyone know what he could be?
I have moved into a new house, have been there for a month and have found 7 snakes they are little (maybe babies) under the trash can when I moved it, dark gray, only probably 4-6 inches, all of them I am finding are about the same length, I live in North Texas, they are always under leaves or brush, one was in the flower bed after I watered.
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Editor’s Note:
Since you don’t mention any markings they likely didn’t have any. You don’t say if the snakes had any belly colors or marks you could see, but those are easily overlooked.
Assuming an unmarked, dark gray dorsum, and a ventrum that was not observed, your snakes could be young regal ring-necked snakes (Diadophis punctatus regalis). These snakes grow to 33 inches in some locales, but typical adults are 15-18 inches long. They are harmless. Lots of other possibilities exist, though, so it is best to take photos and send them in for a more complete identification.
Jerry
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Michelle replied:
There was no other color that I could see. Of course I didn’t get that close to it. They have all been a gray solid color, no other color visible at all. They are very small snakes always curled up under something, not aggressive when uncovered. I do not run into the mother if these are babies, I find them in different places around. There seems to be some kind of light pattern under the gray but not really visible so when looking you only see a dark gray snake (YIKES).
I live in Highland Village, between Lewisville and Lake Lewisville. We are about 1/2 mile from the lake. I have a photo of the snake that my dog alerted me to last fall, October 19th. Is there a way I can send you the photo for identification? I worry it is a copperhead and living in our yard.
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Editor’s Note: Photographs of snakes, spiders, etc., can always be sent in for identification. Send them to jerry.cates@entomobiotics.com and send them as file attachments at full resolution.
Jerry
My family was at Big Bend National Park last week. We saw a pinkish-orange (if there is such a color), long (about 4 ft) and rather round (we estimate to be a 10 year old’s fist diameter), snake burst from the Rio Grande with a struggling fish in his mouth. The snake rushed into the tall grasses on the Mexico side of the river before we could raise our cameras to take a shot. Any ideas what this was?
We were cleaning out our storage building and found a snake,it was black and grey with markings,We have chickens on the back side of the building.My brother said it was a copperhead,but i think it was a rat snake.It was hiding in a bag in the storage. what kind of snake do you think it was.