Snakes of Colorado

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Coachwhip

Masticophis flagellum

The coachwhip is one of the largest and fastest snakes found in North America. They are feisty and strike when cornered, often toward one鈥檚 face. In Colorado, these snakes often reach up to 5 feet in length. They can be pink, red, or brown/gray in color and feed on small mammals and birds, toads, frogs, lizards, and other snakes, including rattlesnakes. They are found in southeastern Colorado and are active during the day.

Prairie Ringneck Snake

Diadophis punctatus

Found under surface cover in canyon bottoms or riparian habitat in southeastern Colorado, prairie ringnecks are identified by slate colored scales with an orange ring around the neck, and bellies vibrantly colored in red, yellow and orange. Ringnecks survive on a diet of earthworms, small frogs and lizards, and insects.

Smooth Green Snake

Liochlorophis vernalis blanchardii

The smooth green snake is a uniform grass green color. Found throughout the Western Slope, the smooth green snake is active during the day and feeds on insects, spiders, and other invertebrates.

Plains Black-Headed Snake

Tantilla nigriceps

These small snakes can be found right here in Boulder. During their active months of April鈥揝eptember, they are found in moist soil under rocks, logs, and in dried cow dung in the foothills and grasslands.

Variable Ground Snake

Sonora semiannulata

Variable ground snakes are rather small. Their prey includes spiders, centipedes and scorpions. As their name suggests, their coloration varies between a uniform light tan/orange to red and black bands.

Western Hognose Snake

Heterodon nasicus

Hognose snakes have a unique defensive behavior known as 鈥渇eigning death.鈥� The hognose will roll onto its back, lie completely still, defecate, release a musk odor and hang its tongue out. Western Hognose Snakes have an upturned snout and keeled scales; each scale has a raised ridge, making them rough to the touch. Their saliva is toxic to prey, which includes toads, lizards, reptile eggs, small mammals, birds, and insects.

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

Thamnophis elegans

Western terrestrial garter snakes are found throughout Colorado, except the northeastern corner of the state. These medium-sized snakes can often be seen in the summer basking on the stonewall surrounding Varsity Pond on the CU Boulder campus.

Lined Snake

Tropidoclonion lineatum

Lined snakes are small, secretive snakes who spend most of their time in canyon bottoms under rocks, logs, and debris with damp, loose soil. Their main prey are earthworms. Their bellies are white with two rows of black dots and their back scales are striped tan, green, and brown.

Prairie Rattlesnake

Crotalus viridis

Prairie rattlesnakes are venomous pit vipers found in a variety of habitats throughout Colorado. They are identified by their keeled scales, triangular-shaped head and a rattle or button on the end of their tail. Prairie rattlesnakes give birth to live young.

Great Plains Rat Snake

Pantherophis emoryi

Great Plains rat snakes are found in the southeast and west/central regions of Colorado. These snakes are found close to rivers, streams, and other permanent sources of water. Great Plains rat snakes are often found near rodent habitats, their prey of choice.

Night Snake

Hypsiglena torquata jani

Like the hognose snake, night snakes use their venomous saliva to subdue their prey. These small, secretive snakes are typically found in rough terrain under rocks during the day, or on the road at night. Night snakes are tan with dark areas on their backs and golden eyes.

Common Kingsnake

Lampropeltis getula

The common kingsnake, despite its name, is not easily found in Colorado. It lives in remote areas of the southeast and southwest corners of state, and spends a great deal of time in burrows or underground. Kingsnakes prey upon rattlesnakes, as well as other snakes, lizards, rodents, and amphibians.

Great Basin Gopher Snake

Pituophis catenifer deserticola

The Great Basin gopher snake is a subspecies of bullsnake that lives on the Western Slope. Found in a wide variety of habitats up to 9000 feet, these rodent eating snakes tend to favor cultivated fields, grass and brush. The Great Basin gopher snake is active during the day, except for in hot weather, and like the bullsnake, is a very good climber and burrower.

Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis

Pale stripes and red areas are characteristic of the common garter snake, found in flood plains and near streams in northern Colorado. These snakes are known to prey upon fish and amphibians.

Glossy Snake

Arizona elegans

Glossy snakes can be aggressive when confronted by humans, often striking and biting repeatedly. They eat lizards and small rodents found in plains grassland habitat and canyon bottoms in eastern Colorado. Shiny or 鈥済lossy鈥� scales cover their bodies, typically 3 feet in length.

Bullsnake

Pituophis catenifer sayi

The bullsnake, also known as the gopher snake, is one of the most widespread snakes in Colorado. They are also one of the largest, growing as large as 6 feet in length. Bullsnakes feed mostly on rodents and do not prey on rattlesnakes, which is a common misconception. Bullsnakes are amazing burrowers using their snout to dig and head and neck to scoop out soil.

Blackneck Garter Snake

Thamnophis cyrtopsis

Of the four species of garter snake found in Colorado, the blackneck garter snake is the least common. It can be found in a variety of habitats near permanent sources of water. Its range in Colorado is limited to the southern portion of the state.

Texas Blind Snake

Leptotyphlops dulcis

Texas blind snakes are secretive, burrowing snakes found in loose, damp soil under rocks in the southeastern corner of Colorado. Wormlike in appearance, these ant and termite eating snakes rarely grow larger than 12 inches in length.

Central Plains Milk Snake

Lampropeltis triangulum gentilis

The Central Plains milk snake is an opportunistic hunter, eating a wide variety of small vertebrates. Found throughout Colorado, they adapt well to areas where agricultural activity alters the landscape. Also called the pale milk snake, this species typically has black, orange/red and white bands or areas along its body.

Western Ribbon Snake

Thamnophis proximus

The western ribbon snake has only been found in a small region in southeastern Colorado. These snakes have cream and olive colored stripes along their long, slender bodies.

Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racer

Coluber constrictor flaviventris

Eastern yellow-bellied racers are active during daylight hours April 鈥� October. These fast snakes feed on a wide range of prey, from small amphibians and reptiles (including other snakes) to small rodents and birds. They are found throughout eastern Colorado and can be identified by their plain brown to olive green or teal color and yellow belly.

Western Yellow-Bellied Racer

Coluber constrictor mormon

Western yellow-bellied racers are found in the northwest and west-central areas of Colorado. They are similar to eastern yellow-bellied racers but found west of the Rocky Mountains.

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Northern Water Snake

Nerodia sipedon

The only species of water snake in the state, northern water snakes are found in northeastern and southeastern Colorado. They have exceptional fishing skills and are found near permanent sources of water. In addition to fish, they will also eat crayfish and adult and larval amphibians. Northern water snakes are often mistaken for venomous cottonmouth snakes, which are not found in Colorado.

Striped Whipsnake

Masticophis taeniatus

The striped whipsnake got its name from its resemblance to leather whips and is found along the Western Slope. These long, sleek snakes feed primarily on lizards and other small vertebrates and insects.

Western Massasauga

Sistrurus catenatus

Western massasauga rattlesnakes are different from prairie rattlesnakes in their size and behavior. Massasauga rattlesnakes use their small rattle more like a scorpion tail, quickly jerking the rattle back and forth, and twitching their head in a quick, deliberate manner. They are found in dry sandy habitats where their rodent prey is easy to come by.

Longnosed Snake

Rhinocheilus lecontei

Longnosed snakes are found in the southeastern corner of Colorado. They are most active at night and average 2-2.5 feet in length and, like bullsnakes, are excellent burrowers. They are speckled black, red, and cream colored with a long snout. They feed on lizards and their eggs, as well as small snakes and rodents.

Southwestern Black-Headed Snake

Tantilla hobartsmithi

Named after the famous CU Herpetologist Hobart Smith, the southwestern black-headed snake, or Smith's black-headed snake, is another small, secretive snake that lives in western Colorado in canyon bottoms with sandy, rocky soil. They feast on centipedes, millipedes, beetle larvae and caterpillars.

Midget Faded Rattlesnake

Crotalus oreganus concolor

The midget faded rattlesnake is a subspecies of the western rattlesnake and found only in far west-central Colorado. They are smaller in size than prairie rattlesnakes but their venom is far more toxic.

Plains Garter Snake

Thamnophis radix

The Plains garter snake is distinguished from other garter snakes by the bright orange stripe running down the length of its body. They are found in eastern Colorado and along the Front Range near permanent or semi-permanent sources of water. In this photo, a Plains garter is eating a toad.

Snakes of Colorado

Snakes. Whether they thrill you or terrify you, these creatures provoke strong reactions in us. While many people are frightened by snakes, the fact remains that snakes play an important role in the ecosystems in which they are found. Have a mouse problem at home? There鈥檚 a snake for that! Spiders taking over your garden? There鈥檚 a snake for that too! Centipedes and scorpions have you frozen in terror? Have no fear, the variable ground snake is here!

Colorado is home to 29 species of snakes found in a variety of habitats throughout the state. The diversity found among these species is simply amazing. Size, color, habitat, behavior, feeding habits; each species has a different expression of these characteristics making them unique and special in their own way. Understanding these differences and getting to know the rich natural histories of snakes can help reduce fear and increase respect for these often misunderstood creatures.

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Snakes in the wild

Like encounters with most wild animals, observe snakes from a safe distance. Handling them can harm them and you. Colorado is home to three venomous snakes: the western massasauga rattlesnake, the midget faded rattlesnake and the prairie rattlesnake.

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Learning from snakes

The University of Colorado Museum of Natural History plays an important role in the study of snakes in Colorado with over 66,000 specimens of reptile and amphibians in its collections. The snakes you see here are stored in an isopropyl alcohol solution. The preservation process fades some of the color found in the scales of snakes but allows specimens to be kept for potentially hundreds of years as research specimens.

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Snakes of Colorado

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Snakes of Colorado

Snakes in the wild

Learning from snakes

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Contact Us

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