CaliforniaHerps.com

California Snakes Range Maps

A Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of California

These maps illustrate the general historic range of established native and non-native snakes found in California.

Red, or another color indicated below the map, shows this distribution. Snakes of the species or subspecies shown are expected to be found within the illustrated area in places where suitable habitat and conditions occur. In some cases, the current range may be fragmented or considerably diminished from the range illustrated here.

Click on the name link for pictures and information about a particular snake.

Click on a map for a topographical view


More Lists and Information Abouit California Snakes

Range Map Range Map Range Map
Rubber Boa Rosy Boa Glossy Snake

Red: Charina bottae - Northern Rubber Boa

Dark Blue: Charina umbratica - Southern Rubber boa

Orange: area where the species of rubber boa
is recognized as potentially C. umbratica by the CDFW.

Purple: Area representing recently-discovered
boas of unexamined species, most likely C. bottae.

Red: Lichanura orcutti - Rosy Boa

(Formerly: Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca -  Coastal Rosy Boa
and Lichinura trivirgata gracia - Desert Rosy Boa)
Red: Arizona elegans eburnata - Desert Glossy Snake

Orange: Arizona elegans occidentalis - California Glossy Snake

Purple: Arizona elegans candida - Mojave Glossy Snake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Baja California Ratsnake Shovel-nosed Snake Western Yellow-bellied Racer
Red dot: Bogertophis rosaliae - Baja California Ratsnake Dark Blue: Chionactis annulata annulata -
 Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake
 

Red: Chionactis occipitalis
 Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake
Red: Coluber constrictor mormon -
Western Yellow-bellied Racer
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Coachwhip Baja California Coachwhip Striped Racer
Red: Coluber flagellum piceus -  Red Racer

Orange: Coluber flagellum ruddocki - San Joaquin Coachwhip
Dark Blue: Coluber fuliginosus - Baja California Coachwhip

Red: Coluber lateralis lateralis - California Striped Racer

Dark Blue: Coluber lateralis euryxanthus  - Alameda Striped Racer
     
Range Map Sharp-tailed Snakes Range Map Range Map
Desert Striped Whipsnake Sharp-tailed Snake Ring-necked Snake
Red: Coluber taeniatus taeniatus - Desert Striped Whipsnake

Orange: Contia longicauda - Forest Sharp-tailed Snake 

Red:  Contia tenuis - Common Sharp-tailed Snake

Dark Blue: Area that might contain both species
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


Black:  Diadophis punctatus regalis  -
Regal Ring-necked Snake


Dark Blue: Diadophis punctatus similis -
 San Diego Ring-necked Snake


Yellow: Diadophis punctatus  vandenburgii -
 Monterey Ring-necked Snake


Gray: General area of intergradation
     
Range Map Range Map California Mountain Kingsnake Range Map
Nightsnake California Kingsnake Mountain Kingsnakes
Red: Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola -
Desert Nightsnake


Orange: Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha klauberi -
San Diego Nightsnake


Purple: Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha nuchalata -  
California Nightsnake


Red: Lampropeltis californiae - California Kingsnake Red: Lampropeltis zonata - California Mountain Kingsnake

Orange: Lampropeltis multifasciata - Coast Mountain Kingsnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Leaf-nosed Snake Gophersnake Long-nosed Snake
Red: Phyllorhynchus decurtatus - Leaf-nosed Snake Purple: Pituophis catenifer affinis -
Sonoran Gophersnake


Orange: Pituophis catenifer annectens -
San Diego Gophersnake


Red: Pituophis catenifer catenifer -
Pacific Gophersnake


Dark Blue: Pituophis catenifer deserticola -
Great Basin Gophersnake


Light Green: Pituophis catenifer pumilus -
Santa Cruz Island Gophersnake

Gray: General area of intergradation

Red: Rheinocheilus lecontei - Long-nosed Snake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Patch-nosed Snake Variable Groundsnake Smith's Black-headed Snake
Red: S. h. hexalepis -
 Desert Patch-nosed Snake


Purple: S. h. mojavensis -
 Mohave Patch-nosed Snake

Orange: S. h. virgultea -
 Coast Patch-nosed Snake


Violet: Old unconfirmed S. h. virgultea sight record
Red: Sonora semiannulata semiannulata -
Variable Groundsnake
Red: Tantilla hobartsmithi - Smith's Black-headed Snake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Western Black-headed Snake Aquatic Gartersnake Sierra Gartersnake
Red: Tantilla planiceps - Western Black-headed Snake Red: Thamnophis atratus atratus -
 Santa Cruz Gartersnake


Orange: Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus -
Oregon Gartersnake

Light Blue: Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus -
Diablo Range Gartersnake


Gray: T. a. hydrophilus x T. a. atratus x T. a. zaxanthus Intergrades

Dark Blue: T. a. atratus x T. a. zaxanthus intergrades
Red: Thamnophis couchii - Sierra Gartersnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Terrestrial Gartersnake Giant Gartersnake Two-striped Gartersnake
Red: Thamnophis elegans elegans -
 Mountain Gartersnake

Purple: Thamnophis elegans terrestris -
 Coast Gartersnake


Dark Blue: Thamnophis elegans vagrans -
 Wandering Gartersnake

Gray: General area of intergradation
Thamnophis gigas - Giant Gartersnake

Red: Current and historic range
Yellow: Historic range
Red: Thamnophis hammondii - Two-striped Gartersnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake Northwestern Gartersnake Common Gartersnake
Red: Thamnophis marcianus marcianus -
Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake
Red: Thamnophis ordinoides - Northwestern Gartersnake Orange: Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi - Valley Gartersnake

Red: Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis -
 California Red-sided Gartersnake


Purple: South Coast Gartersnake

Dark Blue: Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia -
San Francisco Gartersnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Lyresnake Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Sidewinder
Orange: Trimorphodon lambda  - Sonoran Lyresnake

Red: Trimorphodon lyrophanes - California Lyresnake
Red: Crotalus atrox - Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Red: Crotalus cerastes cerastes -
Mohave Desert Sidewinder


Orange: Crotalus cerastes laterorepens -
Colorado Desert Sidewinder
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Speckled Rattlesnake and Panamint Rattlesnake Western Rattlesnake Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Red: Crotalus mitchellii pyrrhus -
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake


Orange: Crotalus stephensi -
Panamint Rattlesnake
Dark Blue: Crotalus oreganus helleri - Southern Pacific Rattlesnake

Orange: Crotalus oreganus lutosus - Great Basin Rattlesnake

Red: Crotalus oreganus oreganus - Northern Pacific Rattlesnake

Gray: Intergrade Range
Red: Crotalus ruber - Red Diamond Rattlesnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Northern Mohave Rattlesnake Western Threadsnake Yellow-bellied Seasnake
Red: Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus -
Northern Mohave Rattlesnake
Orange: Rena humilis cahuilae - Desert Threadsnake

(Leptotyphlops humilis cahuilae - Desert Blindsnake)

Red: Rena humilis humilis - Southwestern Threadsnake

(Leptotyphlops humilis humilis - Southwestern Blindsnake)
Red: Hydrophis platurus - Yellow-bellied Seasnake
     

Non-Native Species

     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Brahminy Blindsnake Southern Watersnake Common Watersnake
Red: Indotyphlops braminus - Brahminy Blindsnake

Red dots: Nerodia fasciata - Southern Watersnake



Red dots: Nerodia sipedon - Northern Watersnake










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