A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Click on a picture for a larger view

Striped California Snakes

Look for a picture that is similar to the snake you want to identify, read the brief descriptions of behavior and habitat, look at the range map to see where the snake is found, and if everything fits your snake, click on the link to continue your search.

These are native California snakes with stripes on the body. Stripes on a snake are defined here as light or dark horizontal markings that extend lengthwise on much of the body. Sometimes there are also blotches between stripes, but these are not considered to be patterned snakes. None of the striped snakes native to California have venom that is considered dangerous to humans, except for the Yellow-bellied Seasnake, but occasionally venomous rattlesnakes are found that have some stripes.
Gartersnakes - Genus Thamnophis Most likely found during daylight in grassy areas near water, or in ponds and creeks during daylight. There are eight species of native gartersnakes in California with several more subspecies. There is a separate page on identifying gartersnakes in California. Looking at the range maps for all California gartersnakes can help narrow down your search.




Range Maps for California Gartersnakes
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Striped Racers (Whipsnakes) - Masticophis lateralis Fast-moving snakes found moving on the ground during daylight, usually in open sunny areas in grassland or chaparal. There is a separate page about identifying the two kinds of whipsnakes found in California (along with similar species, including the Desert Striped Whipsnake shown below.


© Chad M. Lane	© Ryan Sikola	© Spencer Riffle

Red and Blue: Ranges of Striped Racers in California. Click on the map for a key to the different forms.
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Desert Striped Whipsnake - Masticophis taeniatus Fast-moving snakes found moving on the ground during daylight, in open sunny areas in Great Basin Desert areas.

© John Stoklosa	© Richard Porter

© Brian Hinds	© Adam Clause	© Steve Berry

Red: Range of the Desert Striped Whipsnake in California
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Patchnosed Snakes - Salvadora hexalepis Fast-moving snakes found moving on the ground during daylight, usually in open sunny areas in deserts or arid grassland. There is a separte page about identifying the three types of Patch-nosed Snakes found in California.


	© Ryan Sikola

Red, Purple, and Orange: Ranges of Patch-nosed Snakes in California. Click on the map for a key to the different forms.
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Rosy Boa - Lichinura orcutti Slow-moving thick-bodied snakes of coastal Southern California and the deserts, active mostly at night, dusk, and dawn. There is a separate page about Rosy Boas in California.


© Stuart Young		Juvenile © Zeev Nitzan Ginsburg

Red: Range of the Rosy Boa in California
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California Kingsnake (Aberrant Striped form) - Lampropeltis californiae Common large snakes, found night and day in many types of habitat. Most California Kingsnakes are banded, but in coastal southern California (mainly in San Diego County) many have stripes, or a combination of stripes, bands and spots.


	© Dan Wells	© Brian Hubbs

Red: Range of the California Kingsnake in California. Blue (on the southern coast) = the main range of the striped form.
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Gophersnake - Pituophis catenifer Most gophersnakes have a blotched pattern, but in the Central Valley, especially in the area near Davis and Fairfield, some of them have a combination of stripes and blotches. There is a separate page about identifying the the various subspecies of gophersnakes found in Califorrnia,


© 2006 John Michels	© Edgar Ortega	© Zachary Lim

Ranges of the four forms of gophersnakes in California. Click on the map for a key to their names.
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Sharp-tailed Snakes - Genus Contia Very tiny snakes found underneath objects in moist areas, especially during sunny days following rain in the winter and spring. Some appear patternless, but most have faint gray and reddish stripes along the body. There is a separate page about identifying the two different species of sharp-tailed snakes.


© Randy Rice		2 juveniles

Red and Orange: Range of the two species of Sharp-tailed Snakes found in California. Click on the map for a key to the names.
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Yellow-bellied Seasnake - Hydrophis platurus Venomous and Potentially Dangerous! Very rarely viewed in the ocean off of the San Diego County coast. Most often seen out of the water, stranded on a beach during years when ocean temperatures are higher than normal.



© Dick Bartlett		© Dick Bartlett

© John Orrell		© William Flaxington

Red: Range of the Yellow-Bellied Seasnake in California
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Western Groundsnake - Sonora semiannulata A small, nocturnal, desert snake, that varies in appearance. It can be striped and banded, patternless, or striped.


	© Ryan Sikola	© Mardee

Red: Range of the Western Groundsnake in California
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Unusually Striped Rattlesnakes - Genus crotalus It's very rare, but occasionally venomous rattlesnakes are found with stripes instead of their usual pattern of blotches. These are a few examples from the aberrant rattlesnakes page.

This juvenile Northern Pacific Rattlesnake rattlesnake with a very wide dorsal stripe and not a trace of a pattern or banding on the tail was found in southern Monterey County. © Patricia Woodfill		This patternless and dark striped Southern Pacific Rattlesnake was found and killed by L.A. County firefighers, following department policy. Photos © Ray Ortiz LACoFD.

This unusually-patterned Northern Pacific Rattlesnake from coastal dunes in San Luis Obispo County has a mostly patternless body with a pale dorsal stripe (similar to a garter snake) and the usual rings around the tail. © Kevin Crouch		This unusual neonate Southern Pacific Rattlesnake has stripes instead of blotches. San Diego County. © Eric Quinn

Partially-striped sub-adult Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, San Luis Obispo County © Daniel Koury	This unusually striped adult Mohave Desert Sidewinder was found in Kern County © Dallas Jolly

Striped Lizards Often Mistaken for a Snake
Legless lizards - genus Anniella This is actually a lizard that is sometimes mistaken for a snake because it has no legs. Found in loamy and sandy areas, including coastal dunes, sandy washes, leaf litter, southern California gardens.


© Chad Lane	© Ryan Sikola

Ranges of the several species of legless lizards in California. Click on the map for a key to the different species.) See the Lizard Identification page to learn about them.

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