Lampropeltis calligaster

Lampropeltis calligaster by Sophro

Lampropeltis calligaster is a species of kingsnake known commonly as the prairie kingsnake or mole kingsnake. It is found throughout the midwestern and southeastern United States, from Nebraska to Virginia, Florida to Texas.

Lampropeltis calligaster is generally a light brown or black in color, with dark grey, dark brown, or reddish-brown blotching down the length of its body. They are capable of growing to lengths of 30-40 inches (76.2-101.6 cm). They are easily mistaken for various species of rat snake of the genus Pantherophis, which share habitat, and can have similar markings. Some specimens have their markings faded, to appear almost a solid brown color. Juveniles usually have a brown stripe down the back of the body. They have two black spots behind the head and smaller black spots down the back on both sides of the stripe.

Prairie kingsnakes preferred habitat is open grassland with loose, dry soil, typically on the edge of a forested region, not far from a permanent source of water. Their diet consists primarily of rodents, but they will also consume lizards, frogs and occasionally other snakes. They are non-venomous, and typically docile. Like most colubrids, if harassed they will shake their tail, which if in dry leaf litter can sound remarkably like a rattlesnake. They are not typically prone to biting, and if handled will often excrete a foul smelling musk. When threatened, they flatten and appear to have white spots.

Smooth Green Snake

Smooth Green Snake by Matthew Ignoffo

The Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis, sometimes Liochlorophis vernalis) is a non-venomous North American snake, found in Ontario (Hamilton), and almost every northern state in the United States of America also called a 'Grass Snake' in American English. It is a snake of increasing conservation concern in some U.S. states.

The snake is bright green and found mainly in moist meadows, prairies and clearings in coniferous forest. They are almost entirely insectivorous eating mainly crickets, grasshoppers, and smooth caterpillars.

These snakes tend to range in lengths of 12 to 36 inches, a relatively small snake. The females give birth to very small cylindrical eggs. There are usually 3 to 13 eggs. They may hatch in as little as 4 days.

Fox Snake

Fox Snake by Matthew Ignoffo

The fox snake is the common name given to two species of North American ratsnake. Neither is any threat to humans.

The eastern fox snake is uncommon throughout its restricted range in Ontario, Michigan and Ohio where it is found only near Lakes Huron and Erie. The western fox snake occurs in the open forests, prairies, and farmlands of western Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Iowa. Their ranges do not overlap.

Great Plains Rat Snake

Great Plains Rat Snake by J Centavo

The Great Plains Rat Snake (Pantherophis emoryi or Elaphe emoryi) is a species of non-venomous rat snake native to the eastern two thirds of the United States, from New Jersey to Nebraska, to Colorado, south to Texas, and into northern Mexico. It is a subspecies of the corn snake, which is commonly kept as a pet, and is sometimes interbred with the corn snake to produce varying pattern and color morphs.

The epithet emoryi is in honor of Brigadier General William Hemsley Emory, who was chief surveyor of the U.S. Boundary Survey team of 1852 and collected specimens for the Smithsonian Institution. As such, it is sometimes referred to as Emory's Rat Snake.

The Great Plains Rat Snake is typically light gray or tan in color, with dark gray, brown, or green-gray blotching down its back, and stripes on either side of the head which meet to form a point between the eyes. They are capable of growing from 24 to 42 inches in length.

Great Plains Rat Snake by J Centavo

Great Plains Rat Snakes prefer open grassland or lightly forested habitats, but are also found on coastal plains, semi-arid regions, as well as rocky, moderately mountainous regions. They can often be found on farmland, which often leads it to be erroneously called the chicken snake, and other areas with a relatively high rodent population, which is their primary diet. They will also eat birds, and occasionally snakes, lizards and frogs, all of which they subdue by constriction.

They are primarily nocturnal, and oviparous, laying clutches of as many as 25 eggs in the late spring. Like most rat snakes, when agitated, the Great Plains Rat Snake will shake its tail vigorously, which by itself makes no noise, but when it shakes amongst dry leaf litter, it can sound remarkably like a rattlesnake, and often leads to misidentification.

Japanese Rat Snake

Japanese Rat Snake by Sawa Masaki

The Japanese Rat Snake (Elaphe climacophora) is a medium sized snake found throughout the Japanese archipelago (except the far South West). In Japanese it is known as the Aodaishō or "Green General". It is a non-venomous snake, and a member of the Colubrid family.

Adults reach a length of between one and two meters and a girth of about five centimeters, and is the largest Japanese snake outside of Okinawa. The color is rather variable, from pale yellow-green to a dark blue-green. The young snakes have a pattern of brown stripes, which may be an example of mimesis to the venomous mamushi. An albino form is known, especially around Iwakuni, where they are know and revered as "Iwakuni White Snakes". The albino population was protected in 1924 as a "National Monument".

Japanese rat snakes eat a variety of small animals: rodents, frogs or lizards. They are strong climbers and often raid birds nests. They were favoured by farmers as effective rat control (though unpopular with chicken rearers). Natural enemies include Eagles and Raccoon Dogs.

The snakes hibernate for three to four months, mate in spring and lay 7-20 eggs in early summer.

In the German reptile zoo Exotarium Oberhof Elaphe climacophora has been found able to mate with Elaphe schrenckii and to produce fertile bastards, that in mating with each other result in snakes that look very much like Elaphe taeniura

King Ratsnake

King Ratsnake by Paul L. Nettles

King Ratsnake by laurencedunford

The King Ratsnake or Keeled Ratsnake Elaphe carinata is a species of Colubrid snake found in Southeast Asia.

The other common names "stink snake" or "stinking goddess" refers to this species' highly developed post-anal glands, that when picked up are frequently emptied, with a very strong, bad odor. The common name of "King ratsnake" refers to its habit of eating other snakes.

The grow to a size of 150 to 170 cm (up to 240 cm).

Distribution: China, North Vietnam, Taiwan, Ryukyu Islands

Twin-spotted ratsnake

Twin-spotted ratsnake by HGHjim

Elaphe bimaculata, the twin-spotted ratsnake or Chinese cornsnake, is a small ratsnake (60–80 cm) found in China. It occurs as both blotched and striped phase, with the blotched type being the more common or "typical" phase. Some specimens even exhibit a pattern of half blotched, half striped where the anterior half is usually blotched and the posterior half striped.

They are found in many habitats ranging from the edge of forest to cultivated areas and seem to like cooler temperatures and higher humidity. A secretive snake that prefers smaller food items such as young to half grown mice. E. bimaculata has been known to breed at different times of the year, usually with 3-10 eggs being laid in late spring, these requiring 35-48 days of incubation. Provide with a period of 2-3 months hibernation. Females are known to grow larger and heavier than males.

Grey-Banded Kingsnake

Grey-Banded Kingsnake by EcoSnake

The grey-banded kingsnake, (Lampropeltis alterna), or more commonly just referred to as the alterna, is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake, found in the Trans-Pecos/Chihuahuan Desert region of western Texas, southern New Mexico, and northern Chihuahua. Some sources list two distinct subspecies of alterna, L. a. alterna and L. a. blairi (Flury, 1950) differentiated by patterning and locale, but research has shown them to be the same.

Grey-banded kingsnakes are moderately sized snakes, rarely exceeding 46 inches, but specimens up to 57 inches have been recorded. They have a relatively wide head (when compared to other kingsnake species), and have large eyes with round pupils.

Alterna coloration and patterning varies greatly, but there are two main color morphs, which were once considered separate subspecies: the "Blairs" which has wide red/orange banding, and the "Alterna" which has thinner orange/red banding. Both are generally on a grey background with white and/or black accenting. There are many variations on this basic morophology found in the wild and captive bred, with some specimens even lacking orange or red banding entirely.

Grey-Banded Kingsnake by EcoSnake

In the wild, grey-banded kingsnakes are not often encountered. They are uncommon, nocturnal, and quite secretive. Their natural range is sparsely populated with humans and many regions are virtually impassable due to its mountainous terrain. In the field herpetologist community, finding one in the wild is often considered to be a laudable feat. Most that are located are found along the roadways that transect their habitat in the Trans Pecos region.

Alterna generally have a calm disposition and are not prone to defensive reactions, like biting. They feed primarily on lizards, rodents, and sometimes frogs.

Alterna are oviparous, laying clutches 3-13 eggs in early summer, which hatch in approximately 9 weeks. Hatchlings are around 10 inches in size.

Baird's rat snake

Baird's rat snake by Robertsphotos1

Elaphe bairdi is a harmless colubrid species found in the United States in the Big Bend region of western Texas, as well as in northern Mexico in Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas. The species was named in honor of the American zoologist Spencer Fullerton Baird. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Baird's rat snake by mcwetboy

Adults can reach 25 to 55 inches in length. The color pattern consists of an orange-yellow to bright yellow, or a darker salmon ground color, overlaid with four stripes that run from the neck to the tail. The belly is generally gray to yellow, darkening near the tail.

The primary diet consists of rodents, although they will also prey on birds. Juveniles often eat lizards. They are typically more pleasantly tempered than other rat snake species. They are oviparous, laying a clutch of up to 10 eggs that takes about 3 months to hatch. Prefers semi-arid, rocky habitats.

Common names
Baird's rat snake, Baird's ratsnake, Baird's pilot snake, Baird's Coluber, Great Bend rat snake.

Boomslang

Boomslang by wwarby

A boomslang (Dispholidus typus) is a relatively small, venomous colubrid snake native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is currently the only species in its genus, although several species and subspecies have been described in the past. Its name means "tree snake" in Afrikaans and Dutch ("boom" meaning tree, and "slang" meaning snake). In Afrikaans the name is pronounced [buˑomslʌŋ]. The snake is thought to be closely related to members of the genera Thelotornis, Thrasops, Rhamnophis, and Xyelodontophis, with which it forms the tribe Dispholidini.

Boomslang by Arno Louise

Anaconda

Anaconda by eloyhouse

Eunectes murinus or common name anaconda, common anaconda, water boa, green anaconda. is a non-venomous boa species found in South America. It is known as the largest of all snakes. Two subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.

The Green Anaconda is almost the world's longest snake reaching 6–10m (19.8 to 33 feet) long, rivaled only by the reticulated python (python reticulatus). Although there have been reports of snakes 15-20m being seen and tales of snakes ranging from 40-50m long, it is highly unlikely that these snakes could get any longer than 15m at the most. The heaviest one found weighed around 250kg. There is a $50,000 cash reward for anyone that can catch a snake 30 feet or longer, though the prize has not been claimed yet.

The color pattern consists of olive green background overlaid with black blotches along the length of the body. The head is narrow compared to the rest of the body, usually with distinctive orange-yellow striping on either side. The eyes are set high on the head, allowing the snake to see out of the water while swimming without exposing its body.

Anaconda, common anaconda, water boa, green anaconda.

Local names in South America include the Spanish term "matatoro," meaning "bull killer," and the Native American terms sucuri and "yakumama" in the Peruvian region of the Amazon, which means "mother of the water" in the language of the Amazonian Yakurunas or "water people".

Desert Death Adder

Desert Death Adder by Wieb77

The Desert Death Adder, Acanthophis pyrrhus, is a species of snake native to Australia and is one of the most venomous land snakes in the world. The Desert Death Adder is under threat due to the destruction of habitat.

Desert Deaths Adders are members of the Acanthophis genus, highly venomous elapids with short and thick bodies, triangular heads, mobile fangs, and a thin tapering tail. They grow to lengths up to 70 centimetres, with a snout to vent length of 62 cm, and have a flattened appearance. Desert Death Adders are coloured brick-red, or yellow-reddish, with strong or inconspicuous yellow bands which are camouflaged with their surroundings. The tail tip is used as a lure to attract potential prey and is distinctively darker in colour. Their fangs are longer than most of Australia’s venomous snakes.

The species was first described in 1898 by George Albert Boulenger.

The Desert Death Adder occurs from the coast of Western Australia, to central regions as far south as Kalgoorlie and into the Northern Territory. The related species, the Common or Southern Death Adder, is found in a different range.

Desert Death Adders are found in living in remote areas, amongst porcupine grass, stony flats, sandy ridges and rocky outcrops of Central and Western Australia. In southwest Australia they occur in hummock grass in mallee.

Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake

Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake by alumroot

Common names: eastern hog-nosed snake, spreading adder, hog-nosed snake.

Heterodon platirhinos is a harmless colubrid species found in North America. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Adults average 71 cm (28 inches) in length, with females being larger than males. The most distinguishing feature is the upturned snout, used for digging in sandy soils.

The color pattern is extremely variable. It color can be red, green, orange, brown, grey to black, or any combination therein depending on locality. They can be blotched, checkered, or patternless. The belly tends to be a solid grey, yellow or cream colored.

These snakes are considered rear-fanged, but any venom they excrete is not considered dangerous to humans and they are not inclined to bite.

Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake by Brett NJ

Common names:

Eastern hog-nosed snake, spreading adder, hog-nosed snake, adder, bastard rattlesnake, black adder, black blowing viper, black hog-nosed snake, black viper snake, blauser, blower, blowing adder, blowing snake, blow(ing) viper, blow snake, buckwheat-nose snake, calico snake, checkered adder, checquered adder, chunk head, common hog-nosed snake, common spreading adder, deaf adder, eastern hog-nosed snake, flat-head, flat-head(ed) adder, hay-nose snake, hissing adder, hissing snake, hog-nosed adder, hog-nosed rattler, hog-nose snake, hog-nosed viper, hissing viper, (mountain) moccasin, North American adder, North American hog-nosed snake, pilot, poison viper, puff(ing) adder, red snake, rock adder, rossel bastard, sand adder, sand viper, spotted (spreading) adder, spread nelly, spread-head moccasin, spread-head snake, spread-head viper, (spreading) viper.