California Reptiles & Amphibians

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This is not a scientific key to identifying snakes found in California. It is meant to be used as a basic tool for the novice who wants to identify a snake primarily by appearance and location.

Look Here First: Commonly Encountered California Snakes

(based on email sent to me asking me to help identify them.) There is a very good chance you'll find your snake here, and you can skip the rest of this section.

Keep in mind that many species are similar in appearance, and may be hard to tell apart. Also, any type of snake can vary in appearance, and our galleries do not show all variations of all species, so your snake might not match our pictures exactly. Also, snakes can look much different in motion than they do in still photos (where they are usually coiled up to fit in the picture.) When snakes move, the pattern and colors often blend together making them difficult to observe.

Often we only see a part of a snake, which also may not be enough information. In these cases, noting the location, habitat, and behavior may be helpful. For a brief overview of pictures of all of California's snakes, check our California Snakes Photo Index.

There is always the slight chance that a snake you find may not be native, but an introduced animal, such as an escaped pet, and it will not be depicted here. If you cannot find a snake here, you can also look at our page of Escaped Pets which lists some common pet herps which have been reported to me.

There is also a chance that your snake is not a snake. See our list of animals sometimes mistaken for snakes below.

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Important Observations


There are several observations you can make that will help you to identify a California snake.


Color and Pattern

Note the color and pattern - whether there are bands, stripes, blotches, spots, or the snake is plain in color.
Remember that the appearance of most snakes will change when they are moving, especially if they are moving quickly.The pattern will blur and your impression of the animal will not be accurate enough to identify it by appearance alone.


Geographical Location

Many snakes occur only in certain parts of the state. Check our California Snakes Range maps page to find out what snakes occur in your general area.


Habitat

Note where the snake occurs - desert, forest, mountains, marsh, in water, grassland, etc. Many snakes have a preferred type of habitat within their range.


Size, Shape, and Texture

Look at the body and head - is the body slim and round or heavy and thick, and is there an obvious neck setting off the head from the body. Note if the scales are small and smooth and shiny, or large and dull.


Behavior

Note how the snake moves, and how fast it moves, if it is climbing, hissing, making a rattling sound.

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Animals, etc. that are sometimes mistaken for snakes

I have received email asking me to identify the following animals which were thought to be snakes.

	The California Legless Lizard is a lizard with no legs, and it looks very much like a snake.Unlike a snake, it has eyelids.
Horsehair Worm or Gordian Worm	The Horsehair Worm or Gordian Worm, is a long and slender worm which is sometimes mistaken for a very thin snake.
	Western Skinks, especially bright-blue tailed juveniles, often look like snakes when their legs are not seen as they are moving quickly through grass or leaf litter. Sometimes the blue tail is all that is noticed, and it is mistaken for a small shiny blue snake. The tail is easily broken off and when it breaks, it wriggles for several minutes, again, looking very much like a little blue snake.
© Allison Rowe	Land Planarian, genus Bipalium also called Bipalium Hammerhead Worm Arrowhead Worm Land planarians are worm-like creatures with a flattened head that eat earthworms along with slugs, insect larvae and other land planarians. Native to tropical and subtropical regions, they have spread around the world in potted plants. They thrive in high heat and humidity, but they are enduring cold temperatures and spreading in much of the US. They move and feed mostly at night.
	Slender Salamander - when its tiny legs are not seen, this salamander can be confused for a very small worm-like snake. The tail is also easily broken off, and a detached tail wriggles on the ground for several minutes, moving like a tiny snake.
	Toy Snakes I have received requests to identify pictures of small unusually colored snakes that the photographer thought was either dead or not moving. In each case it was a rubber or plastic toy snake. The toy snake shown to the left, was found beside a hiking trail, where it might have been left as a practical joke. The person who sent the picture to me for identification was afraid to get too close to the snake, so she was too far to see that it was not a real snake. From a distance some of these toys could fool almost anybody. (In West Texas, some practical joke loving snake hunters make fake snakes and put them up on road cuts to fool other snake hunters when they see it in their spotlight at night.)

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General Categories

To make them easier to identify, we have separated all species of California snakes into the following general categories based on overall appearance. Click on the link to move to that category.

Striped	Stripes along the length of the body
Patternless	With mostly plain backs
Banded	Bands circle the body
Patterned	Botched, spotted, or saddled
Rattlesnakes	Patterned, with a rattle on the tail

Encounters with dangerous snakes


Always be cautious of a snake if you don't know for certain that it is harmless.

Some snakes carry dangerous venom which can be harmful and even fatal to humans. (Most of us call these snakes poisonous, which is actually a mis-nomer, since they do not inflict harm when they are consumed. It is more accurate to label them venomous.) The only dangerously venomous native snakes found in California are the seasnake, which occurs in the ocean off souther California and is rarely encountered, and the rattlesnakes, which occur throughout the state and have a rattle on the end of the tail. However, be aware that sometimes the rattle may be missing or broken off. The bite of non-dangerously venomous snakes, such as the Lyre Snake, may also cause a minor reaction in some people. Non-venomous snakes can also cause minor injury by biting.

Snakes do not aggressively attack humans. They attack only in self-defense or when feeding. If you find a venomous snake, your best option is to leave it alone. For your own comfort and safety, and the well-being of the snake, try to avoid being bitten by any snake, including those that are non-venomous. If you want to have a dangerous snake removed from your property, contact someone in your area with experience in snake removal and re-location. There is no reasonable need to kill any snake that is encountered, which often occurs due to our instinctive and emotional fear of snakes. Snakes are a natural and necessary part of any healthy environment. They play an important role in the food chain, and can be especially beneficial to humans when they consume and control rodent populations.

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Snake Removal

If you are think you have a dangerous snake on you property, instead of trying to kill it, risking your own safety and needlessly destroying an innocent wild animal, a better option is to have a professional come and catch and remove the snake. There is a list of some of the venomous snake removal services available in California at anapsid.org.

Before calling a removal service, read the information found at Snake Getters to see if it's the best course of action for you to take.

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