Key Points
- Of all 90 types of snakes in Texas, ten of them are rattlesnakes, so that puts Texas in second place in the U.S. for rattlesnakes, behind Arizona.
- The western diamondback rattlesnake is the most common rattler in Texas, the largest, and is also responsible for the most rattlesnake bites in Texas.
Full Answer
What snakes are native to Texas?
Texas Colubrids include:
- Racers Coluber constrictor
- Mud snake Farancia abacura
- Crayfish snake Regina rigida
- Glossy snakes Arizona elegans
- Indigo snake Drymarchon corais
- Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum
- Salt marsh snake Nerodia clarkii
- Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer
- Flathead snake Tantilla gracilis
- Scarlet snakes Cemophora coccinea
What is the black snake in Texas?
The Indigo snake is the largest snake native to the United States. Texas indigo snakes are predominantly black in color, with a high sheen which gives their smooth scales a remarkable iridescent hue. Their underside is often a salmon pink color.
What are the types of poisonous snakes?
Venomous Snakes – Their Types. Basically, on land there are four known families of poisonous snakes – Elapidae, Viperidae, Colubridae, and Atractaspididae. And Hydrophiidae is the family of venomous snakes found in water. Elapidae (Elapids) This family encompasses some of the most notoriously venomous snakes known to man.
What snakes are in Austin TX?
They spend a lot of time inside ponds, streams, and water bodies generally. Many water snake species can be found in Austin such as diamond-backed water snakes (Nerodia rhombifer), plain-bellied water snakes, banded and un-banded water snakes, and so on. All species possess dark vertical lines that span the entire lower jaw.
What is the most common snake to see in Texas?
Texas rat snake Maybe the most common snake in Texas, this acrobatic climber feeds on rats and mice, birds and birds' eggs. It can grow to be quite large but is not dangerous to humans.
What is deadliest snake in Texas?
Massasauga Rattlesnake Scientifically, massasauga rattlesnakes should be the most venomous snakes in Texas. Their venom is technically the most potent of all our snakes.
What are the 4 poisonous snakes in Texas?
There are four venomous snakes in the State of Texas: Copperheads, Cottonmouths (Water Moccasins), Rattlesnakes and Coral Snakes.
Are snakes a problem in Texas?
Snakes are integral to Texas' array of regional ecosystems. While many Texans view them as a dangerous pest, they are an important predator of insects and animals. There are around 75 snake species in the Lone Star State, but only about a dozen are venomous.
What part of Texas has the most snakes?
Central Texas regionThe Central Texas region has the largest number of species. As for parts of Texas where there are many individuals, West Texas, Central Texas and South Texas are great places to go to find snakes.
What keeps snakes off house?
Use natural repellents Natural repellents including sulfur, clove and cinnamon oil, and vinegar may help repel snakes. Pour these substances around the perimeter of your property, any place you have noticed snake activity.
Are anacondas in Texas?
During the last 30 years about 1 million giant constrictor snakes, including pythons and anacondas, have been imported to the United States, and there's now a thriving domestic breeding industry.
What part of Texas has the most rattlesnakes?
"This is Sweetwater, Texas. It's the world's largest rattlesnake roundup." It is, for most first-timers, like nothing you've ever seen in your life. The humming sound of hundreds of rattlers is like nothing you've ever heard in your life.
Does Texas have Cobras?
The brightly colored Texas coral snake is the state's only member of the Elapidae family, which includes the cobras of Asia and Africa.
What months are snakes most active in Texas?
As the weather warms, we start to hear of more snake sightings. Snakes tend to emerge from mid-April to mid-June, experts say.
Are snakes active at night in Texas?
Snakes are most active at night and during early morning and late evening hours, the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension says. One of the most common species of snakes isn't venomous at all. The Texas rat snake, according to an article published by the University of Texas at Arlington, can live in both rural and urban areas.
What US state has the most snakes?
California: 33 California is a large state with many different ecosystems. It is home to more than 33 snake species, and many are endemic to the state.
Is there anacondas in Texas?
During the last 30 years about 1 million giant constrictor snakes, including pythons and anacondas, have been imported to the United States, and there's now a thriving domestic breeding industry.
What part of Texas has the most rattlesnakes?
"This is Sweetwater, Texas. It's the world's largest rattlesnake roundup." It is, for most first-timers, like nothing you've ever seen in your life. The humming sound of hundreds of rattlers is like nothing you've ever heard in your life.
What are the largest snakes in Texas?
Texas indigo snakes are the largest snakes native to North America. The Texas indigo snake is the largest snake in the entire United States.
How serious is a cottonmouth bite?
Cottonmouth bites are very dangerous. Their venom causes immense swelling and pain while causing tissue damage. This can cause loss of arms and legs and even death. A cottonmouth bite often comes with extra infections since the snake eats carrion and accessed your bloodstream with its fangs.
Quickly Identifying Venomous Snakes in Texas
There are four types of venomous snakes in Texas: copperheads, rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and coral snakes.
Most Common Snakes in Texas
Continue reading for more detailed information on these common snakes!
Snakes Native to Texas
Below is a comprehensive list of snakes native to Texas, organized by family.
Coexisting With Texas Snakes
Many people are afraid of snakes, but these slithery friends are extremely valuable to keep around.
Snake Safety
Venomous snakes bite around 7,000 people in the US per year. Only 0.2% are fatal.
What is the most common snake in Texas?
This is the most common and widespread venomous snake in Texas, found in all but the easternmost part of the state. Timber rattlesnake ( Crotalus horridus) also known as Canebreak rattlesnake is a large, heavy-bodied snake averaging 4-1/2 feet. Brown or tan with wide, dark crossbands.
How many species of rattlesnakes are there in Texas?
Rattlesnakes. There are 10 species of rattlesnakes in Texas. The Western diamondback ( Crotalus atrox ), has brown, diamond-shaped markings along the middle of the back and alternating black and white rings on the tail. Averages 3 1/2 to 4-1/2 feet in length, and can reach seven feet.
How many types of copperheads are there in Texas?
There are three subspecies of Copperheads in Texas; Southern copperhead ( A.c. contortrix ), 20-30 inches long and found in the eastern one-third of the state; Broadbanded copperhead ( A.c. laticinctus ), about two feet long, widely scattered in central and western Texas; and the Trans-Pecos copperhead ( A.c. pictigaster ), 20-30 inches in length and found near springs in the southern part of the Trans-Pecos. The bite of a copperhead is seldom fatal because of its short fangs (1.2 to 7.2 mm in length) and small amount of venom.
What snakes have red, black and yellow?
Because harmless Texas scarlet snakes and Louisiana and Mexican milk snakes share the red, black, yellow coloration pattern, it is important to notice the order of the colored bands. A good memory-jogging device to learn is "Red next to black-friend of Jack; red next to yellow will kill a fellow.".
What is the only semi-aquatic viper in Texas?
Also known as 'water moccasins', only one recognized subspecies is found in Texas; Western cottonmouth ( A.p. leucostoma ). They are world's only semi-aquatic viper. Cottonmouths can be dark brown, olive-brown, olive green or almost solid black. They are marked with wide, dark bands, which are more distinct in some individuals than in others. Juvenile snakes are more brilliantly marked. The cottonmouth gets its name from the white tissue inside its mouth, which it displays when threatened. This heavy-bodied snake, which averages about 3-1/2 feet in length, is found over the eastern half of the state in swamps and sluggish waterways, coastal marshes, rivers, ponds and streams.
How big is a prairie rattlesnake?
Average length is about three feet and is found in the grassy plains of the western third of the state.
What is the color of a banded rock rattlesnake?
Banded Rock rattlesnake ( C.l. klauberi) Similar to the mottled rock rattlesnake, but darker greenish-gray in color. Found only in the extreme western tip of Texas. Blacktail rattlesnake ( Crotalus molossus) is gray to olive green with dark blotches along the back and a black tail.
Venomous Snakes
Rattlesnakes are not the only venomous snakes in Texas, though they are by far the most common and tend to strike the most fear in Texans’ hearts.
Nonvenomous Snakes
Coachwhip A slender, mostly light brown to tan snake that will kill and eat rattlesnakes, it doesn’t attack people by whipping their legs, as folklore suggests. It eats birds, small reptiles and almost anything else it can catch and swallow.
What snakes are in Texas?
For example, a look at a Texas snake atlas shows that only two species, the Common Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) and the Coachwhip ( Masticophis flagellum) have a state wide range. All other species ranges are mapped as either north, south, east or west Texas, or a combination of a few of the geographic areas.
How many snake species are there in Texas?
High snake diversity coupled with urban sprawl and development translates into many snake species being habitat adaptable. Therefore populations in all of Texas urban areas cross paths with their local snakes. Looking again at the Dallas – Ft. Worth area, according to researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington, the metropolitan area and surrounding suburbs host around thirty different snake species.
How big do Texas gartersnakes get?
The five gartersnake species are ubiquitous in residential areas as well as fields and forests all over the state. They can grow to three or four feet in length and generally display benign behavior.
What is ribbon snake?
Ribbon snakes refers to a group of snakes in the genus Thamnophis, differentiated by the presence of longer tails and a light patch in front of the eye. Up to five subspecies of Western Ribbon Snakes (Thamnophis proximus) range across th state. The picture shows a Gulf Coast Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus orarius).
What is the Texas snake story?
The Texas snakes story is primarily a story of the large Texas territory and regionalism. Snake species spillover from the Southeast, Southwest, Midwest and tropical Mexico all contribute to Texas snake diversity. For example, a look at a Texas snake atlas shows that only two species, the Common Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula) ...
How many species of rat snakes are there in Texas?
A similar Ratsnake story can also be told. Texas hosts about five species or subspecies of common Ratsnakes. In fact, the Texas Ratsnake, a subspecies of the common Eastern Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus) ranks as the dominant ratsnake species in all of East Texas, north to south.
How many snakes are there in Dallas?
Worth area, according to researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington, the metropolitan area and surrounding suburbs host around thirty different snake species.
What color are Texas snakes?
Characteristics: Light tan/pale brown with hourglass-shaped crossbands that are darker in color than the rest of the body. Newborns have the same coloring as adults, but with a bright yellow tail. Adults grow to be about 24"-36" in length. More information: Texas Snakes: A Field Guide.
How big can a Texas snake grow?
Characteristics: These lengthy snakes can grow up to seven feet and are often mistaken for a rattler, because of their patterns, but the long straight head is different from the wide, triangle-shaped heads of poisonous snakes. More information: Texas Snakes: A Field Guide.
What are the characteristics of a cottonmouth snake?
Characteristics: Stout-bodied with a large, flat-topped head, dark in color with ill-defined cross-bodied patterns. Newborn cottonmouths have bright yellow-tipped tails.
What does a water snake look like?
Characteristics: On the top, they look like a water moccasin, but their bright yellow bellies give them away. This water snake is commonly mistaken for cottonmouths, but though they have the same environment preferences -living in water - they aren't venomous.
How many people die from snake bites in Texas?
While they are venomous, the toxicity of their venom is low, so their bites are rarely fatal. The average snakebite-cause death in Texas annually is roughly two people. It accounts for roughly 1,000 of the nation's 5,000 to 8,000 reported snake bites. Most Popular.
How big do rattlesnakes get?
Characteristics: Small rattlesnake with a grey body and dark spots patterned down its back. Their rattles are very small and black. Adults grow to be between 15"-20". More information: Texas Snakes: A Field Guide.
Where are copperheads found in Texas?
According to Texas Parks & Wildlife, Southern copperheads are the most common variety found in east Texas. The light brown reptiles have darker bands, and are common in the wooded areas surrounding Houston. While they are venomous, the toxicity of their venom is low, so their bites are rarely fatal.
What is the most deadly snake in Texas?
state has venomous snake species, but some have more lethal snakes than others. Texas has the second most venomous snakes of any state in the United States of America. The most venomous snake in Texas is the coral ...
How big are Texas coral snakes?
Texas coral snakes usually reach between 2 and 4 feet in length, and their bodies are quite thin. They are brightly colored, with wide red and black bands separated by thin yellow rings. People often mistake them for kingsnakes and milk snakes.
What is a rattlesnake?
Rattlesnakes, otherwise known as “rattlers.”. Recognizable by a segmented rattle at the ends of their tails, rattlesnakes are most common in rocky arid and semi-arid habitats. Copperheads (dry-land moccasins). These snakes are pit vipers, like rattlesnakes, and share many of the same visual characteristics.
What snakes have venom?
The most potent venom is that of the coral snake. These snakes are elapids, belonging to the same family as cobras and mambas. There are three species in the U.S., but the only one found in the Lone Star State is the Texas coral snake.
What is a cottonmouth viper?
Cottonmouths are heavy-bodied pit vipers that can grow up to 3 feet in length. They have wide-set heads, slit-like pupils and keeled scales. Western cottonmouths, found in Texas, are dark brown, dark grey, dark olive or black. Juveniles are lighter in color with prominent crossbands that fade with age.
Which rattlesnake has the most venom?
That’s followed by Mojave rattlesnakes, which have the most potent venom of any rattlesnake. Texas is also home to the western diamondback rattlesnake and the timber rattlesnake, both of which are deadly. We’ll be looking at Texas’s most venomous snake species. We’ll discuss each snake’s preferred habitat and appearance, ...
Where do cottonmouth snakes live?
Though they breathe air, they can hold their breath while they hunt underwater for up to an hour. They reside mainly in eastern and southeastern Texas.
