California Reptiles & Amphibians

California Snakes Range Maps

These maps illustrate the general historical range of indigenous and introduced snakes in California. Red, or another color indicated below the map, shows this distribution. In some cases, a snake's current range may be fragmented or considerably diminished from the range shown here. Click on the name link for more pictures and information about a particular snake.

RUBBER BOA	ROSY BOA	GLOSSY SNAKE	BAJA CALIFORNIA RATSNAKE
Red: Charina bottae - Northern Rubber Boa Green: Charina umbratica - Southern Rubber boa	Green: Lichanura trivergata roseofusca - Coastal Rosy Boa Red: Lichanura trivergata gracia - Desert Rosy Boa	Red: Arizona elegans eburnata - Desert Glossy Snake Green: Arizona elegans occidentalis - California Glossy Snake Blue: Arizona elegans candida - Mojave Glossy Snake	Bogertophis rosaliae

SHOVEL-NOSED SNAKE	RACER	SHARP-TAILED SNAKE	RING-NECKED SNAKE
Green: Chionactis occipitalis annulata - Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake Red: Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis - Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake Orange: Chionactis occipitalis talpina - Nevada Shovel-nosed Snake	Coluber constrictor mormon - Western Yellow-bellied Racer	Contia tenuis	Red: Diadophis punctatus amabilis - Pacific Ring-necked Snake Light Blue: Diadophis punctatus modestus - San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake Orange: Diadophis punctatus. occidentalis - Northwestern Ring-necked Snake Purple: Diadophis punctatus pulchellus- Coral-bellied Ring-necked Snake Light Green: Diadophis punctatus regalis - Regal Ring-necked Snake Blue: Diadophis punctatus similis - San Diego Ring-necked Snake Green: Diadophis punctatus vandenburgii - Monterey Ring-necked Snake Gold: General area of intergradation

NIGHTSNAKE	CALIFORNIA KINGSNAKE	CALIFORNIA MOUNTAIN KINGSNAKE	COACHWHIP
Green: Hypsiglena torquata nuchalata - California Nightsnake Red: Hypsiglena torquata deserticola - Desert Nightsnake	Lampropeltis getula californiae	Currently no subspecies of this snake are recognized. This map illustrates the complete range of the species divided into the ranges of the formerly recognized subspecies. Green: Lampropeltis zonata multicincta - Sierra Mountain Kingsnake Orange: Lampropeltis zonata multifasciata - Coast Mountain Kingsnake Blue: Lampropeltis zonata parvirubra - San Bernardino Mountain Kingsnake Purple: Lampropeltis zonata pulchra - San Diego Mountain Kingsnake Red: Lampropeltis zonata zonata - St. Helena Mountain Kingsnake Gold: General area of intergradation	Red: Masticophis (Coluber) flagellum piceus - Red Coachwhip Green: Masticophis (Coluber) flagellum ruddocki - San Joaquin Coachwhip

BAJA CALIFORNIA COACHWHIP	STRIPED RACER	STRIPED WHIPSNAKE	SOUTHERN WATERSNAKE
Masticophis (Coluber) fuliginosus	Red: Masticophis (Coluber) lateralis lateralis - California Striped Racer Green: Masticophis (Coluber) lateralis euryxanthus - Alameda Striped Racer	Masticophis (Coluber) taeniatus taeniatus	Nerodia fasciata

LEAF-NOSED SNAKE	GOPHER SNAKE	LONG-NOSED SNAKE	PATCH-NOSED SNAKE
Phyllorhynchus decurtatus	Purple: Pituophis catenifer affinis - Sonoran Gopher Snake Orange: Pituophis catenifer annectens - San Diego Gopher Snake Red: Pituophis catenifer catenifer - Pacific Gopher Snake Green: Pituophis catenifer deserticola - Great Basin Gopher Snake Light Green: Pituophis catenifer pumilis - Santa Cruz Island Gopher Snake Gold: General area of intergradation	Rheinocheilus lecontei	Red: S. h. hexalepis - Desert Patch-nosed Snake Green: S. h. mojavensis - Mohave Patch-nosed Snake Orange: S. h. virgultea - Coast Patch-nosed Snake

GROUNDSNAKE	SMITH'S BLACK-HEADED SNAKE	WESTERN BLACK-HEADED SNAKE	AQUATIC GARTERSNAKE
Sonora semiannulata semiannulata	Tantilla hobartsmithi	Tantilla planiceps	Red: Thamnophis atratus atratus - Santa Cruz Gartersnake Green: Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus - Oregon Gartersnake Blue: Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus - Diablo Range Gartersnake Gold: Intergrades

SIERRA GARTERSNAKE	TERRESTRIAL GARTERSNAKE	GIANT GARTERSNAKE	TWO-STRIPED GARTERSNAKE
Thamnophis couchii	Red: Thamnophis elegans elegans - Mountain Gartersnake Green: Thamnophis elegans terrestris - Coast Gartersnake Blue: Thamnophis elegans vagrans - Wandering Gartersnake Gold: General area of intergradation	Thamnophis gigas	Thamnophis hammondii

CHECKERED GARTERSNAKE	NORTHWESTERN GARTERSNAKE	COMMON GARTERSNAKE	LYRESNAKE
Thamnophis marcianus marcianus	Thamnophis ordinoides	Green: Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi - Valley Gartersnake Red: Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis - California Red-sided Gartersnake Orange: Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia - San Francisco Gartersnake	Green: Trimorphodon biscutatus lambda - Sonoran Lyresnake Red: Trimorphodon biscutatus - lyrophanes - Baja California Lyresnake

WESTERN DIAMOND-BACKED RATTLESNAKE	SIDEWINDER	SPECKLED RATTLESNAKES	WESTERN RATTLESNAKE
Crotalus atrox	Red: Crotalus cerastes cerastes - Mohave Desert Sidewinder Green: Crotalus cerastes laterorepens - Colorado Desert Sidewinder	Red: Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus - Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake Green: Crotalus stephensi - Panamint Rattlesnake	Green: Crotalus oreganus helleri - Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Orange: Crotalus oreganus lutosus - Great Basin Rattlesnake Red: Crotalus oreganus oreganus - Northern Pacific Rattlesnake

RED DIAMOND RATTLESNAKE	NORTHERN MOHAVE RATTLESNAKE
Crotalus ruber	Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus