California Snakes

This is a complete llst of snakes that occur naturally in California, including introduced species with well-established populations.
Snakes are listed by scientific name and sorted by family. Below, they are listed by common name.
Follow the links for information and pictures illustrating each animal and its habitat.

This list is based on the lists published by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Listed by Scientific Names

Squamata - Snakes

Boidae - Boas and Pythons

Charina - Rubber Boas

C. bottae - Northern Rubber Boa

C. umbratica - Southern Rubber Boa

Lichanura - Rosy Boas

L. trivirgata - Rosy Boa

L. t. gracia - Desert Rosy Boa

L. t. roseofusca - Coastal Rosy Boa

Colubridae - Colubrids

Arizona - Glossy Snakes

A. elegans - Western Glossy Snake

A. e. candida - Mohave Glossy Snake

A. e. eburnata - Desert Glossy Snake

A. e. occidentalis - California Glossy Snake

Bogertophis - Desert Ratsnakes

B. rosaliae - Baja California Ratsnake

Chionactis - Shovel-nosed Snakes

C. occipitalis - Western Shovel-nosed Snake

C. o. annulata - Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake

C. o. occipitalis - Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake

C. o. talpina - Nevada Shovel-nosed Snake

Coluber - North American Racers

C. constrictor - Eastern Racer

C. constrictor mormon - Western Yellow-bellied Racer

Contia - Sharp-tailed Snakes

C. tenuis - Sharp-tailed Snake

Diadophis - Ring-necked Snakes

D. punctatus - Ring-necked Snake

D. p. amabilis - Pacific Ring-necked Snake

D. p. modestus - San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake

D. p. occidentalis - Northwestern Ring-necked Snake

D. p. pulchellus - Coral-bellied Ring-necked Snake

D. p. regalis - Regal Ring-necked Snake

D. p. similis - San Diego Ring-necked Snake

D. p. vandenburgii - Monterey Ring-necked Snake

Hypsiglena - North American Nightsnakes

H. chlorophaea - Desert Nightsnake (=H. torquata)

H. c. deserticola - Northern Desert Nightsnake (=H. t. deserticola)

H. ochrorhyncha - Coast Nightsnake

H. o. klauberi - San Diego Nightsnake

H. o. nuchalata - California Nightsnake (=H. t. nuchalata)

Lampropeltis - Kingsnakes and Milksnakes

L. getula - Common Kingsnake

L. g. californiae - California Kingsnake

L. zonata - California Mountain Kingsnake

5 Subspecies are sometimes recognized:

L. z. multicincta - Sierra Mountain Kingsnake

L. z. multifasciata - Coast Mountain Kingsnake

L. z. parvirubra - San Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake

L. z. pulchra - San Diego Mountain Kingsnake

L. z. zonata - St. Helena Mountain Kingsnake

Masticophis (=Coluber) - Whipsnakes, Striped Racers, & Coachwhips

M. flagellum - Coachwhip (=Coluber flagellum)

M. f. piceus - Red Coachwhip (=C. f. piceus)

M. f. ruddocki - San Joaquin Coachwhip (=C. f. ruddocki)

M. fuliginosus - Baja California Coachwhip (=C. fuliginosus)

M. lateralis - Striped Racer (=Coluber lateralis)

M. l. euryxanthus - Alameda Striped Racer (=C. l. euryxanthus)

M. l. lateralis - California Striped Racer (=C. l. lateralis )

M. taeniatus - Striped Whipsnake (=Coluber taeniatus)

M. t. taeniatus - Desert Striped Whipsnake (=Coluber taeniatus)

Nerodia - American Watersnakes

N. fasciata - Southern Watersnake I

N. sipedon - Northern Watersnake I

Phyllorhynchus - Leaf-nosed Snakes

P. decurtatus - Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake

Pituophis - Bullsnakes, Gopher Snakes, & Pinesnakes

P. catenifer - Gopher Snake

P. c. affinis - Sonoran Gopher Snake

P. c. annectens - San Diego Gopher Snake

P. c. catenifer - Pacific Gopher Snake

P. c. deserticola - Great Basin Gopher Snake

P. c. pumilis - Santa Cruz Island Gopher Snake

Rhinocheilus - Long-nosed Snakes

R. lecontei - Long-nosed Snake

Salvadora - Patch-nosed Snakes

S. hexalepis - Western Patch-nosed Snake

S. h. hexalepis - Desert Patch-nosed Snake

S. h. mojavensis - Mohave Patch-nosed Snake

S. h. virgultea - Coast Patch-nosed Snake

Sonora - North American Groundsnakes

S. semiannulata - Western Groundsnake

S. s. semiannulata - Variable Groundsnake

Tantilla - Black-headed Snakes

T. hobartsmithi - Smith's Black-headed Snake

T. planiceps - Western Black-headed Snake

Thamnophis - North American Gartersnakes

T. atratus - Aquatic Gartersnake

T. a. atratus - Santa Cruz Gartersnake

T. a. hydrophilus - Oregon Gartersnake

T. a. zaxanthus - Diablo Range Gartersnake

T. couchii - Sierra Gartersnake

T. elegans - Western Terrestrial Gartersnake

T. e. elegans - Mountain Gartersnake

T. e. terrestris - Coast Gartersnake

T. e. vagrans - Wandering Gartersnake

T. gigas - Giant Gartersnake

T. hammondii - Two-striped Gartersnake

T. marcianus - Checkered Gartersnake

T. m. marcianus - Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake

T. ordinoides - Northwestern Gartersnake

T. sirtalis - Common Gartersnake

T. s. fitchi - Valley Gartersnake

T. s. infernalis - California Red-sided Gartersnake

T. s. tetrataenia - San Francisco Gartersnake

Trimorphodon - Lyresnakes

T. biscutatus - Lyresnake

T. b. lambda - Sonoran Lyresnake

T. b. lyrophanes - Baja California Lyresnake

Hydrophiidae - Sea Snakes

Pelamis - Yellow-bellied Seas Snakes

P. platurus - Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

Leptotyphlopidae - Blind Snakes (Threadsnakes)

Leptotyphlops - Threadsnakes

L. humilis - Western Threadsnake

L. h. cahuilae - Desert Threadsnake

L. h. humilis - Southwestern Threadsnake

Viperidae - Vipers

Crotalus - Rattlesnakes

C. atrox - Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake

C. cerastes - Sidewinder

C. c. cerastes - Mohave Desert Sidewinder

C. c. laterorepens - Colorado Desert Sidewinder

C. ruber - Red Diamond Rattlesnake

C. mitchellii - Speckled Rattlesnake

C. m. pyrrhus - Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

C. scutulatus - Mojave Rattlesnake

C. s. scutulatus - Northern Mohave Rattlesnake

C. oreganus - Western Rattlesnake

C. o. helleri - Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (=Crotalus helleri)

C. o. lutosus - Great Basin Rattlesnake (=Crotalus lutosus)

C. o. oreganus - Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (=Crotalus oreganus)

C. stephensi - Panamint Rattlesnake

I = Introduced - not native to California

Listed by Common Names

Black-headed Snakes

Smith's Black-headed Snake

Western Black-headed Snake

Blindsnakes/Threadsnakes

Desert Threadsnake (Blindsnake)

Southwestern Threadsnake (Blindsnake)

Coachwhips (sometimes called racers)

Baja California Coachwhip

Red Coachwhip

San Joaquin Coachwhip

Gartersnakes (sometimes called water snakes)

Santa Cruz Gartersnake

Oregon Gartersnake

Diablo Range Gartersnake

Sierra Garter Snake

Mountain Gartersnake

Coast Gartersnake

Wandering Gartersnake

Giant Gartersnake

Two-striped Gartersnake

Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake

NorthWestern Gartersnake

Valley Gartersnake

California Red-sided Gartersnake

San Francisco Gartersnake

Glossy Snakes

Mohave Glossy Snake

Desert Glossy Snake

California Glossy Snake

Gopher Snakes (sometimes called Bull Snakes)

Sonoran Gopher Snake

San Diego Gopher Snake

Pacific Gopher Snake

Great Basin Gopher Snake

Santa Cruz Island Gopher Snake

Groundsnakes

Variable Groundsnake

Kingsnakes

California Kingsnake

California Mountain Kingsnake

Leaf-nosed Snakes

Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake

Long-nosed Snakes

Western Long-nosed Snake

Lyresnakes

Sonoran Lyresnake

Baja California Lyresnake

Nightsnakes

California Nightsnake

Desert Nightsnake

San Diego Nightsnake

Patch-nosed Snakes

Desert Patch-nosed Snake

Mohave Patch-nosed Snake

Coast Patch-nosed Snake

Racers (also see Whipsnakes below)

Western Yellow-bellied Racer

Ratsnakes

Baja California Ratsnake

Rattlesnakes

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake

Mohave Desert Sidewinder

Colorado Desert Sidewinder

Red Diamond Rattlesnake

Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

Panamint Rattlesnake

Northern Mohave Rattlesnake

Southern Pacific Rattlesnake

Great Basin Rattlesnake

Northern Pacific Rattlesnake

Ring-necked Snakes

Pacific Ring-necked Snake

San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake

Northwestern Ring-necked Snake

Coral-bellied Ring-necked Snake

Regal Ring-necked Snake

San Diego Ring-necked Snake

Monterey Ring-necked Snake

Rosy Boas

Rubber Boas

Sea Snakes

Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

Sharp-tailed Snakes

Sharp-tailed Snake

Shovel-nosed Snakes

Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake

Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake

Nevada Shovel-nosed Snake

Sidewinders

Mohave Desert Sidewinder

Colorado Desert Sidewinder

Watersnakes (also see Gartersnakes above)

Southern Watersnake I

Whipsnakes/Racers

Alameda Striped Racer

California Striped Racer

Desert Striped Whipsnake

I = Introduced

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