A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California
Photo Index of California Snakes
Click on a picture for a larger view
Click on a name link to go to the main page for more pictures and information about a particular snake and its habitat.
More Lists and Information About California Snakes
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| Adult | Juvenile © Jared Heald | Adult | Juvenile |
| Northern Rubber Boa Charina bottae |
Southern Rubber Boa Charina umbratica |
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| Desert Morph | Coastal Morph | Unicolor Morph | © Brad Alexander |
| Rosy Boa Lichanura orcutti |
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| Desert Glossy Snake Arizona elegans eburnata |
California Glossy Snake Arizona elegans occidentalis |
Mohave Glossy Snake Arizona elegans candida |
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| © Dick Bartlett | © William Flaxington | ||
| Baja California Ratsnake Bogertophis rosaliae |
Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake Chionactis occipitalis |
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| Adult | Juvenile | ||
| Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake Chionactis annulata annulata |
Western Yellow-bellied Racer Coluber constrictor mormon |
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| Brown Phase | Red Phase | Brown Phase | Red Phase © Chad Lane |
| Red Coachwhip (Red Racer) Masticophis flagellum piceus |
San Joaquin Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum ruddocki |
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| Dark Phase © Dick Bartlett | Light Phase | ||
| Baja California Coachwhip Masticophis fuliginosus |
California Striped Racer Masticophis lateralis lateralis |
Alameda Striped Racer Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus |
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| © Zachary Lim | |||
| Forest Sharp-tailed Snake Contia longicauda |
Common Sharp-tailed Snake Contia tenuis |
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| © Adam Clause | |||
| Desert Striped Whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus |
Pacific Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus amabilis |
San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus modestus |
Northwestern Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus occidentalis |
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| Coral-bellied Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus pulchellus |
Regal Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus regalis |
San Diego Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus similis |
Monterey Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus vandenburgii |
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| © Jason Jones | |||
| Desert Nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola |
San Diego Nightsnake Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha klauberi |
California Nightsnake Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha (torquata) nuchalata |
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| California Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata |
Coast Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis multifasciata |
Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus |
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| Black and White Banded Morph | Brown and Cream Banded Morph | Aberrant Banded/Striped Morph | Newport-Long Beach morph |
| California Kingsnake - Lampropeltis californiae |
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| Sonoran Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer affinis |
San Diego Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer annectens |
Pacific Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer catenifer |
Great Basin Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer deserticola |
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| © Loren Prins | Clarus Phase | ||
| Santa Cruz Island Gophersnake Pituophis catenifer pumilus |
Long-nosed Snake - Rhinocheilus lecontei |
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| © Zachary Lim | |||
| Desert Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis |
Mohave Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis |
Coast Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis virgultea |
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| Smith's Black-headed Snake Tantilla hobartsmithi |
Western Black-headed Snake Tantilla planiceps |
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| Orange-and-Black Banded Morph | Orange-Striped Morph | Black-and-White Banded Morph © Tom Mills |
Plain Brown Morph |
| Variable Groundsnake - Sonora semiannulata semiannulata |
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| Santa Cruz Gartersnake Thamnophis atratus atratus |
Oregon Gartersnake Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus |
Sierra Gartersnake Thamnophis couchii |
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| Diablo Range Gartersnake Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus |
Mountain Gartersnake Thamnophis elegans elegans |
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| © Jared Heald | |||
| Morph with three light stripes and black and red checkered sides |
Morph with red side stripes | Morph with three light stripes and no red coloring |
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| Coast Gartersnake - Thamnophis elegans terrestris |
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| © Ken Griffiths | © William Flaxington | ||
| Wandering Gartersnake Thamnophis elegans vagrans |
Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake Thamnophis marcianus marcianus |
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| Spotted Morph | Striped Morph | ||
| Giant Gartersnake Thamnophis gigas |
Two-striped Gartersnake Thamnophis hammondii |
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| Yellow-striped Morph | Red-striped Morph | Red Morph © William Flaxington | Morph with no Side Stripes |
| Northwestern Gartersnake Thamnophis ordinoides |
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| © Alan Barron | |||
| Valley Gartersnake Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi |
California Red-sided Gartersnake Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis |
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| © Eli Short | |||
| South Coast Gartersnake Thamnophis sirtalis ssp. |
San Francisco Gartersnake Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia |
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| Sonoran Lyresnake Trimorphodon lambda |
California Lyresnake Trimorphodon lyrophanes |
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| Southwestern Threadsnake Rena humilis humilis |
Desert Threadsnake Rena humilis cahuilae |
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| © William Flaxington | |||
| Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Crotalus atrox |
Mohave Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes cerastes |
Colorado Desert Sidewinder Crotalus cerastes laterorepens |
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| 2005 Ken Pitts | © Bruce Edley | ||
| Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake - Crotalus pyrrhus |
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| © Patrick Briggs | © David Tobler | ||
| Southern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus helleri |
Great Basin Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus lutosus |
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| © Chad Lane | © Connor Long | ||
| Northern Pacific Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus oreganus |
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| © 2005 Jeremiah Easter | © Ben Smith | ||
| Red Diamond Rattlesnake Crotalus ruber |
Northern Mohave Rattlesnake Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus |
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| © Joel Lingenfelter | © Adam G. Clause | ||
| Panamint Rattlesnake - Crotalus stephensi | |||
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| © Jake Orrell | |||
Non-Native Snake Species Established in California |
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| © Richard Porter | Juvenile | ||
| Florida Watersnake Nerodia fasciata pictiventris |
Common Watersnake Nerodia sipedon |
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| Brahminy Blindsnake - Indotyphlops braminus |
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