Snakes of Iowa

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Snakes of Iowa
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Snakes of Iowa

• Family Colubridae
• Nonvenomous Snakes
• Family Viperidae
• Venemous Snakes

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Family ViperidaeVenemous Snakes

• Subfamily Crotalinae
• Sistrurus catenatus Massasauga Endangered
• Crotalus horridus Timber Rattlesnake
• Crotalus viridis Prairie Rattlesnake Endangered
• Agkistrodon contortrix Copperhead Endangered

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Family ColubridaeNonvenomous Snakes

• Nerodia sipedon Northern water snake
• Nerodia rhombifera Diamondback water snake T
• Nerodia erythogaster Yellowbelly water snake E
• Regina grahami Grahams crayfish snake
• Storeria dekayi Brown snake
• Storeria occipitomjaculata Northern Redbelly
  Snake
• Virginia valeriae Smooth Earth Snake T
• Tropidoclonion lineatum Northern Lined Snake

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Family ColubridaeNonvenomous Snakes

• Thamnophis sirtalis Eastern Redside Garter
• Thamnophis radix Plains Garter Snake
• Thamnophis proximus Western Ribbon Snake
• Carphophis amoenus Western Worm Snake T
• Opheodrys vernalis Smooth Green Snake
• Opheodrys aestivus Rough Green Snake
• Diadophis punctaus Prairie Ringneck Snake
• Coluber constrictor Racers

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Family ColubridaeNonvenomous Snakes

• Lampropeltis triangulum Milk Snake
• Lampropeltis calligaster Prairie Kingsnake
• Lampropeltis getulus Speckled Kingsnake End.
• Pituophis melanoleucus Bullsnake
• Elpahe vulipina Fox Snake
• Elaphe obsoleta Black Rat Snake
• Heterodon platyrhinos Eastern Hognose Snake
• Heterodon nasicus Western Hognose Snake End.

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Protected Classifications

• Endangered In danger of extinction
• Threatened Likely to become endangered
• Special Concern Not documented, but suspected

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Endangered Species

• Yellow-bellied Water Snake
• Nerodia erythrogaster

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Threatened Species

• Diamondback Water Snake
• Nerodia rhombifera
• Smooth Green Snake
• Opheodrys vernalis
• Western Worm Snake
• Carphophis amoneus

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Sistrurus catenatusMassasauga Rattlesnake

• Prairie marshes
• Gray background
• Grayish black blotches on center of back
• 2-3 rows black blotches on the sides
• Paired elongate blotches extend from the neck to
  the head
• Ventral surface black
• Tail spotted or black, tipped with a rattle
• Head sensors between eye and nostril
• 20-30 inches Long
• Two subspecies in Iowa
• Populations in 3 state managed marshes
• Prey lives in marshesmice, shrews, frogs, birds,
  other snakes
• Will bite if provoked
• Least dangerous venomous rattlesnake

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Sistrurus catenatusMassasauga Rattlesnake
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Crotalus horridusTimber Rattlesnake

• Timbered areas near rock outcrops in eastern and
  southern Iowa.
• Largest, most dangerous snake
• Only snake with jagged crossbands.
• 36-54 inches long
• Large, heavy bodied
• Heat sensitive pit between eyes
• Background yellow-brown to brown
• Prey on small mammals, especially rodents
• Immediate medical attention (bites)

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Crotalus horridusTimber Rattlesnake
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Crotalus viridisPrairie Rattlesnake

• Loess bluffs, of Plymouth County
• White outlined brown dorsal blotches, making tail
  appear ringed
• Granular scales on top of head
• Background tan to brown and even green
• Pit present midway between eye and nostril
• Preys on rodents
• Potent venom

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Crotalus viridisPrairie Rattlesnake
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Agkistrodon contortrixCopperhead

• Forested rocky terrain
• Only in Lee Van Buren Counties
• Rarest snake, possibly nonexistent in Iowa
• Heat sensitive pit between eyes nostril
• Color of oxidized copper or bronze
• Bands at midline of back are expanded on the
  sides
• Diet of mice

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Agkistrodon contortrixCopperhead
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Nerodia sipedonNorthern Water Snake

• Fish-inhabited waters
• All Iowa but northwest corner
• Dark gray bands across front 1/3 of body
• Alternating dorsal and lateral blotches
  posteriorly
• Reddish ventral crescents
• Gray background
• 24-42 inches long
• Fish, frogs, and salamanders diet

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Nerodia sipedonNorthern Water Snake
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Nerodia rhombiferaDiamondback Water Snake

• Quiet pools near Mississippi, south of Muscatine
• Largest water snake, 30-48 inches long
• Dorsal blotches connect to form diamond pattern
• Black blotches on yellow/tan background
• No anterior crossbanding or red crescent
• Diet fish, frogs, Salamanders

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Nerodia rhombiferaDiamondback Water Snake
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Nerodia erythrogasterYellowbelly Water Snake

• Quiet pools near Mississippi, south of Muscatine
• Iowas rarest water snake, only a few scattered
  populations
• Chocolate brown dorsally
• Yellow-orange belly
• No dorsal/ventral markings
• 30-48 inches long

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Nerodia erythrogasterYellowbelly Water Snake
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Regina grahamiGrahams Crayfish Snake

• Prairie woodland marsh edges where there is an
  abundance of crayfish
• Central Southern Iowa
• Only striped ( and smallest) water snake
• 18-28 inches long
• Brown dorsally
• Broad three scale-wide tan stripe on each side
• Very docile, rarely bite

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Storeria dekayiBrown Snake

• Woodland dwellers
• Statewide except NW Iowa
• Tan background
• Alternating dark brown blotches
• Alternating dark blotches on sides
• Cream belly, two rows of scattered brown dots
• 8-15 inches
• Prey on earthworms, insect larvae, and slugs

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Storeria dekayiBrown Snake
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Storeria occipitomaculataNorthern Redbelly Snake

• Woodland or woodland-edge species
• Statewide except for SE third
• 8-11 inches
• Brown/copper colored
• Distinct tan dorsal stripe
• Copper/red belly
• Prey on earthworms, insect larvae, and slugs

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Storeria occipitomaculataNorthern Redbelly Snake
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Virginia valeriaeSmooth Earth Snake

• Woodland edges near rock outcrops and streams
• Uncommon except in SE Iowa
• Golden tan
• White belly
• Some have faint tan dorsal stripe
• 7-10 inches
• Prey on earthworms
• Docile secretive

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Virginia valeriaeSmooth Earth Snake
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Tropidoclonion lineatumNorthern Lined Snake

• Prairie/Woodland edge
• Few populations in southern Iowa
• Greenish brown
• Yellow/cream dorsal stripe
• Double row of black crescents down middle of
  belly
• 8-15 inches
• Prey on earthworms and insect larvae

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Tropidoclonion lineatumNorthern Lined Snake
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Thamnophis sirtalisEastern Redside Garter
Snakes

• Common around water
• Cream mid-dorsal strip
• Lateral stripe on each side
• Background dark brown to greenish
• Belly greenish to bluish white
• 18-26 inches
• Redside statewide except NE corner where eastern
  rules
• Prey amphibians

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Thamnophis sirtalisEastern Redside Garter
Snakes
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Thamnophis radixPlains Garter Snake

• Marsh-edge, streamside
• Statewide
• Orange/yellow mid-dorsal stripe
• Pair of yellow lateral stripes
• Olive green background
• Heavy bodied
• 20-28 inches long
• Short tail
• Prey amphibians, fish, earthworms, insects

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Thamnophis radixPlains Garter Snake
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Thamnophis proximusWestern Ribbon Snake

• Marsh edges
• Southern half of Iowa
• Three stripes, orange mid-dorsal stripe
• Olive green background
• Long tail
• 20-30 inches long
• Most slender garter snake
• Prey on fishes, frogs, and salamanders

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Thamnophis proximusWestern Ribbon Snake
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Carphophis amoenusWestern Worm Snake

• Rocky wooded areas under rocks
• Southern Iowa
• Salmon pink on bottom
• Lavender brown on top
• Glossy, smooth scales
• Pointed nose and tail
• 7-11 inches long
• Prey on earthworms and insects

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Opheodrys vernalisSmooth Green Snake

• Prairie marshes
• lt10 populations in all but western Iowa
• Pea green
• White to green white belly
• No markings
• 14-20 inches
• Prey on insects
• Susceptible to insecticides leading to a decline
  in numbers

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Opheodrys vernalisSmooth Green Snake
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Opheodrys aestivusRough Green Snake

• Davis county
• Not verified in 30 years
• Keeled scales, otherwise similar to smooth green
  snake
• Arboreal

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Diadophis punctatusPrairie Ringneck Snake

• Deciduous forest edge
• Statewide except NW Iowa
• Reddish brown with bright yellow-orange ring
  around neck no other markings
• Bright yellow belly
• Bright red underside of tail
• 10-14 Inches long
• Prey on earthworms, small snakes, frogs, insects

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Diadophis punctatusPrairie Ringneck Snake
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Coluber constrictorRacer

• Open dry prairies woodland clearings
• Statewide except NW Iowa
• Blue to gray on top and sides
• Large and slender
• Unmarked white/yellow belly
• Only large blue snake lacking stripes or spots
• 30-60 inches
• Prey on mice, rodents, snakes, lizards, frogs

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Coluber constrictorRacer
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Elaphe obsoletaBlack Rat Snake

• Undisturbed forest
• Eastern, Southern Iowa
• Large black constructors
• Cream belly, faded black markings
• 42-72 inches long
• Prey rodents, birds
• Climb trees
• Egg layer

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Elaphe obsoletaBlack Rat Snake
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Lampropeltis triangulumMilk Snake

• Forest and forest edge
• Statewide , most colorful
• Reddish blotches surrounded by black on white
  background
• White belly with large black markings
• 21-36 inches long
• Prey on mice snakes, lizards, reptile eggs

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Lampropeltis triangulumMilk Snake
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Lampropeltis calligasterPrairie Kingsnake

• Woodland edge
• Rarely in open dry prairie/deep forest
• Southern third of Iowa
• Tan background back/sides
• Yellowish/white belly
• Elongated blotches on neck/head
• 30-42 inches
• Prey by constriction rodents
• Egg layers

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Lampropeltis calligasterPrairie Kingsnake
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Lampropeltis getulusSpeckled Kingsnake

• Woodland habitats
• Southern Iowa
• Very rare
• Midnight black
• White/pale yellow speckles
• 36-48 inches
• Secretive
• Prey by constriction rodents, snakes

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Lampropeltis getulusSpeckled Kingsnake
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Pituophis melanoleucusBullsnake

• Prairie woodland habitats
• Statewide
• Yellowish background
• Cream belly
• Dark brown squarish blotches on back with small
  blotches on sides
• Well shaped rostral scale on edge of nose
• 50-72 inches large!
• Egg layers

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Pituophis melanoleucusBullsnake
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Elphae vulpinaFox Snake

• Woodland edges
• Moderately large with single row large brown
  spots down midline of back
• Gray background with smaller brown lateral spots
• Paired blotches on neck
• 36-54 inches long
• Prey rodents, small mammals

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Elphae vulpinaFox Snake
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Heterodon platyrhinosEastern Hognose Snake

• Wooded, sandy clearings near ponds
• Statewide except central and northern drift area
• Upturned nose flat head paired dark neck-spots
• White belly with gray marks
• Underside of tail is white
• 20-23 inches, short, fat
• Prey toads, frogs, slaamanders
• Feign death

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Heterodon platyrhinosEastern Hognose Snake
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Heterodon nasicusWestern Hognose Snake

• Undisturbed remnant sand prairies in NW SE Iowa
• Light tan background, brown spots
• Belly/underside black blotches
• 16-25 inches
• Smaller and lighter in color than eastern hognose
• Prey toads, lizards, mammals
• Feigns death

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Heterodon nasicusWestern Hognose Snake
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Living With Snakes