Northern Water Snake

Northern Water Snake by Brian*MC

The Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sometimes also known as Natrix sipedon) is a large, non-venomous, well-known snake in the Colubridae family that is native to North America. They are active during the day and at night. They are most often seen basking on rocks, stumps, or brush.

During the day, they hunt among plants at the water's edge, looking for small fish, frogs, worms, leeches, crayfish, salamanders, small birds and mammals. At night, they concentrate on minnows and other small fish sleeping in shallow water. It was once an endangered species but now benefits from the introduction of round goby, an invasive species.

Western Green Mamba

Western Green Mamba by Laura Bertola

The western green mamba or West African green mamba (Dendroaspis viridis) is a long, thin venomous arboreal snake native to West Africa, including Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. It has large green scales outlined in black, and grows up to two meters in length. The scales on its long tail are yellow and edged in black.

It is mostly diurnal, but may be active at night as well. Its habitat is the rainforest. Its natural prey includes birds, lizards, and mammals. Two very close relatives of the Western green mamba are the Eastern green mamba, and the Black mamba.

King Cobra

King Cobra by bossejonsson59

The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length that can be as large as 6.7 m (22 ft). This species is widespread throughout Southeast Asia and parts of India, but found mostly in forested areas. Its genus name, Ophiophagus, literally means "snake-eater", and its diet primarily consists of other snakes, including sizeable pythons and even smaller members of its own species. The venom of the King Cobra is primarily neurotoxic, and the snake is fully capable of killing a human with a single bite. The mortality rate from a bite can be as high as 75%.

The King Cobra is a large and powerful snake, averaging 3.6–4 m (12–13 feet) in length and typically weighing about 6 kg (13.2 lb). A particularly large specimen was kept captive at the London Zoo and grew to 5.7 m (18.8 ft) before being euthanized upon the outbreak of World War II. The skin is either olive-green, tan, or black and it has faint, pale yellow cross bands down the length of the body. The belly is cream or pale yellow, and the scales are smooth.

The head of a mature snake can be quite massive and bulky in appearance, though like all snakes, they can expand their jaws to swallow large prey items. It has proteroglyph dentition, meaning it has two short, fixed fangs in the front of the mouth which channel venom into the prey like hypodermic needles. The male is larger and thicker than the female. The average lifespan of a King Cobra is about 20 years.

Eastern diamondback rattlesnake

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake by williewonker

Crotalus adamanteus is a venomous pitviper species found in the southeastern United States. It is the heaviest (though not longest) venomous snake in the Americas and the largest rattlesnake. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Eastern diamondback rattlesnake, eastern diamond-backed rattlesnake, eastern diamondback, diamond rattlesnake, diamond-back rattlesnake, common rattlesnake, diamond-back, diamond(-patch) rattler, eastern diamond-back (rattlesnake), eastern diamond rattlesnake, Florida diamond-back (rattlesnake), Florida rattlesnake, lozenge-spotted rattlesnake, rattler, rattlesnake, southeastern diamond-backed rattlesnake, southeastern diamond-backed rattler, southern woodland rattler, timber rattlesnake, water rattle, water rattlesnake, diamondback rattlesnake.

Found in the southeastern United States from southeastern North Carolina, south along the coastal plain through peninsular Florida to the Florida Keys, and west along the Gulf Coast though southern Mississippi to southeastern Louisiana. The original description for the species does not include a type locality, although Schmidt (1953) proposed that it be restricted to "Charleston, South Carolina" (USA).

Cottonmouth

Cottonmouth TomSpinker

Agkistrodon piscivorus is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper, found in the eastern United States. Adults are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite.[citation needed] This is the world's only semi-aquatic viper, usually found in or near water, particularly in slow-moving and shallow lakes and streams.

The snake is a strong swimmer and will even enter the sea, successfully colonizing islands off both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The common names for the species include variants on water, swamp or black 'moccasin', 'viper', 'cottonmouth', and 'rattler'. Many of the common names refer to the threat display, where this species will often stand its ground and gape at an intruder, exposing the white lining of its mouth.

This is a list of common names for Agkistrodon piscivorus, some of which also refer to other species: Water moccasin, cottonmouth, black moccasin, black snake, blunt-tail moccasin, congo, copperhead, cottonmouth water moccasin, cotton-mouthed snake, gapper, highland moccasin, lowland moccasin, mangrove rattler, moccasin, North American cottonmouth snake, North American water moccasin, North American water viper, pilot, rusty moccasin, stub-tail, stump moccasin, stump-tail moccasin, stump-tail viper, swamp lion, Texas moccasin, trap jaw, Troost's moccasin, true horn snake, true water moccasin, viper, water mokeson, water pilot, water adder, water rattlesnake, water viper, cotton-mouth snake, gaper, snap jaw.

The diet consists mainly of fish and frogs, but is otherwise highly varied and, uniquely, has even been reported to include carrion. The specific name is derived from the Latin words piscis and voro, which mean "fish" and "to eat".

Eyelash palm-pitviper

Eyelash Palm-Pitviper by KBugler

Bothriechis schlegelii is a venomous pitviper species found in Central and South America. Small and arboreal, these snakes are characterized by their wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales over the eyes. Often present in zoological exhibits. Named after the German ornithologist, Hermann Schlegel. No subspecies are currently recognized.

This is a relatively small species that rarely exceed 75 cm (2.5 feet) in length, with females being larger than males. They have a wide, triangular-shaped head, and eyes with vertical pupils. Like all pit vipers, they are solenoglyphous, having large, hypodermic needle-like fangs in the upper jaw that fold back when not in use, and have heat sensitive organs, or pits, located on either side of the head between the eye and nostril.

Its most distinguishing feature, and origin of its common name, is the set of modified scales over the eyes that look much like eyelashes. The eyelashes are thought to aid in camouflage, breaking up the snake's outline among the foliage it usually hides in. B. schlegelii occurs in a wide range of colors, including red, yellow, brown, green, even pink, as well as various combinations therof. They often have black or brown speckling on the base color.

Common names

Eyelash viper, eyelash mountain viper, Schlegel's viper, Schlegel's palm viper, eyelash snake, horned palm viper. eyelash pit viper, Schlegel's pit viper. eyelash palm-pitviper. Also known as Bocaracá in Costa Rica and other Latin American countries.

Geographic range

Its range extends from southern Mexico (northern Chiapas), southeastward on the Atlantic slope and lowlands through Central America to northern South America in Colombia and Venezuela. Also found on the Pacific versant and lowlands in parts of Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. Occurs in mesic forest at elevations almost from sea level to 2640 m altitude. The type locality is "Popayan"(Popayán, Colombia).

Side-striped palm viper

Side-striped palm viper by stuboo

Bothriechis lateralis is a venomous pitviper species found in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Adult specimens may exceed 100 cm, but are usually less than 80 cm in length. These are relatively slender snakes and have a prehensile tail.

The color pattern consists of an emerald green to bluish green ground color, overlaid with a series of yellow alternating paravertebral vertical bars. Some of the scales adjacent to the yellow in this pattern may be blue or black-tipped.

The belly is a uniform yellowing-green, bordered on either side by a pale yellow stripe running along the lower portion of the paraventral scales and the extreme lateral part of the ventral scales. The head is uniformly green on top and a blue or blue-gray postocular stripe may be present. If a postocular stripe is present, it is weakly defined, especially in large adults. The iris is yellow.

Juvenile specimens are usually brown with dark brown markings on the head, bronze irises, postocular stripes, paravertebral makings that are edged with yellow, and a tail tip that is yellow or chartreuse. Captive juveniles retain this color pattern for about six months, after which the ground color starts to become a dull lime green and the yellow edges of the paravertebral vertical bars more prominent. It is thought that the shift to adult coloration takes about 18-24 months to complete.

Like many green snakes, captive adults tend to become blue over time, although blue specimens are sometimes found in the wild.

Common names : Side-striped palm-pitviper, side-striped palm viper, green palm viper, yellow-lined palm viper.

Found in the mountains of Costa Rica and western Panama, including the Cordillera de Tilarán, the Cordillera Central and the Cordillera de Talamanca to the provinces of Chiriquí and Veraguas. Occurs at 850-980 m altitude. The type locality is listed as "Costa Rica vom Vulcan Barbo [Volcán Barba] ... und .. Veragua" [Panama].

Sri Lankan pit viper

Sri Lanka Palm Viper - Trimeresurus trigonocephalus by HGHjim

Trimeresurus trigonocephalus is a venomous pitviper species found in Sri Lanka. No subspecies are currently recognized.

A sexually dimorphic species, at a maximum of 70 cm in length the males are considerably smaller than females, which can grow to 130 cm. In addition, male tends to have a blue coloration, whereas the females are predominantly green. These are bulky snakes with a prehensile tail, suiting their arboreal lifestyle.

Common names : Sri Lankan green pitviper, Sri Lankan pit viper, pala polonga, green pit viper.

Guatemalan palm viper

Guatemalan Palm Pit Viper at the St Louis Zoo by LogansProudDaddy

Bothriechis aurifer is a venomous pitviper species found in Mexico and Guatemala. No subspecies are currently recognized.

Adults generally grow to less than 70 cm in length, but sometimes to over 1 m. The body is relatively slender with a prehensile tail.

The scalation includes 1-5 intersupraocular scales, 8-12 supralabials, 9-13 infralabials and 18-21 (mode 19) rows of dorsal scales at midbody. The second supralabial is fused with the prelacunal to form a lacunolabial and the interrictals number 16-21. Males have 148-167 ventral scales and 58-64 subcaudals (mostly undivided), while females have 152-162 ventrals and 48-61 subcaudal scales.

The color pattern consists of a green ground color overlaid dorsally with a series of yellow blotches that are bordered in black. Between the botches, an irregular, often broken, dorsal stripe can be seen. The yellowish green belly is often lighter than the dorsum.

On the head, a dark postocular stripe is present. The iris is usually yellowish-green, sometimes bronze, with black specks or reticulations. Over 90% of all specimens have the usual dark dorsal pattern, but a few are uniform green and have no postocular stripes. The juvenile coloration includes a pale lime green ground color and a colorful tail tip.

Found in Mexico in the mountains of eastern Chiapas, and in northern Guatemala. Occurs in cloud forest at 1200-2300 m altitude. The type locality given is "Cobán, [Alta] Vera Paz, Guatemala."

Eastern Fox Snake

Eastern Fox Snake by wikipedia

The Eastern Fox Snake (Pantherophis gloydi) is a species of Fox Snake. The Eastern Fox Snake is a member of the North American Rat Snake Family "Pantherophis". Recently split from their phylogenetically similar cousins the Western Fox Snake (Pantherophis vulpina). The separation of these snakes to their own species is a recent occurrence.

The Eastern Fox Snake is a denizen of the freshwater marshes found along Lake Erie and Lake Huron. They are found in Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario with historical populations also occurring in New York (extirpated). The Eastern Fox Snake is considered threatened over most of its range due to habitat loss and collection for the pet trade. The complete status of this species is unknown at this time.

Rough Green Snake

Rough Green Snake by soulsurvivor08

The Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) is a non-venomous North American snake. It is sometimes Grass Snake or Green Grass Snake, but these names are more commonly applied to the Smooth Green Snake, Opheodrys vernalis. (The European colubrid called Grass Snake is unrelated.) The Rough Green Snake is docile, often allowing close approach by humans, and seldomly bites.

The snake is bright green above and has a yellowish belly, affording it excellent camouflage in green vegetation. It grows up to 46 inches in length and is very thin. The Rough Green Snake ranges throughout the Southeastern United States, from Kansas and Texas east to New Jersey and south to Florida. It is absent from the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains.

It is also found in northeastern Mexico, including the state of Tamaulipas and eastern Nuevo León. Its preferred habitat is moist meadows and woodlands, often near water. It is highly arboreal, frequently found climbing in low vegetation, and is also a good swimmer. However it is often found on the ground as well. Unlike many snakes, it is largely diurnal. Its diet consists mostly of insects and other terrestrial arthropods, but some snails and tree frogs are eaten as well. This snake is not a constrictor--most prey are grabbed and simply swallowed alive.

Rough Green Snake by Arcadiareptiles

Predators of the Rough Green Snake include birds, spiders, and other snakes, such as the Eastern Racer, Coluber constrictor and the Eastern King snake, Lampropeltis getula.

The Rough Green Snake breeds in spring, and sometimes again in fall. Females lay 2-14 eggs, occasionally in a communal nest shared by more than one female. Up to 75 eggs have been found in one such nest. The nest site varies: under boards, under bark in rotting stumps, in deep mulch, or under a rock. Hatchlings from spring breeding typically emerge in August or September, and are about 7-8 inches in length.

The Rough Green Snake is widespread and is not of conservation concern, in general. However urban development, especially the reduction of vegetation near waterways, may reduce their numbers. Many are killed on roads, and they may be susceptible to poisoning by pesticides used on their insect prey.

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.