The state of Utah is home to 24 non-venomous snakes and 7 venomous types of snakes. The 7 venomous species are all rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes are pit vipers. Pit vipers are recognizable by their pits organs which are located slightly below and in front of each eye. They also have triangular-shaped heads and vertical eye pupils that are black slits on yellow eyeballs.
On the other hand, non-venomous snakes generally have rounded heads and round pupils.
Three of the snakes on the non-venomous list, the Sonoran lyre snake, the Night snake, and the Smith’s black-headed snake, are actually rear-fanged and mildly venomous. However, their venom isn’t harmful to humans, so they are not on our list of venomous snakes.
Additionally, garter snakes do not have fangs, but their saliva is mildly toxic. However, they are also basically innocuous to humans and thus on our list of non-venomous snakes.
Garter Snakes
The most common nonvenomous snakes in Utah are its three subspecies of garter snake. These are sometimes called water snakes. However, Utah doesn’t actually have any true water snakes.
Although garter snakes are classified as non-venomous, the saliva of most garter snakes is mildly toxic. They lack the mouth size or bite force to break the skin on a human body in most instances. However, rare cases of garter snake envenomation to humans occasionally happen. These involve slight burning or itching and localized edema to the affected area.
- Western Terrestrial Garter Snake – (Thamnophis elegans) The Western terrestrial garter snake inhabits western North America. It is a very phenotypically variable species. Most of them have a white, yellow, or light orange stripe along their top, along with two stripes of the same color, one on each side. Most of the time, they have red or black spots between their dorsal stripe and their side stripes. Due to their variability, these snakes even pose a problem for experienced herpetologists to identify at times. There are both coastal and inland varieties of this species. Obviously, the ones in Utah are of the inland variety. Their diet is semi-aquatic and includes frogs, frog and toad larvae, leeches, and fish, along with terrestrial prey such as rodents, small reptiles, and insects.
- Common Garter Snake – (Thamnophis sirtalis) The common garter snake is distributed throughout most of North America. These snakes come in a wide range of colors, which includes green, blue, yellow, gold, red, orange, brown, and black. They grow up to about 4 ft long. However, most stay smaller than that. Most of them have vertical stripes that are yellow to brown over a darker background. Common garter snakes are known to secrete a foul-smelling fluid from postanal glands when handled.
- Black-necked Garter Snake – (Thamnophis cyrtopsis) The black-necked garter snake is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Guatemala. These snakes are olive-colored with contrasting lateral stripes. They have a stripe down the center of their back that is typically more vivid orange or yellow the closer it extends towards their head. They also have a whiteish or cream-colored stripe on each side. Additionally, they have black neck patches on either side of the dorsal stripe at the back of their head, which is bluish-grey. They also have black stripes which surround the cream-colored scales on their upper and lower jaws. The largest black-necked garter snakes are up to 42 inches long.
Rubber Boa
The rubber boa, (Charina bottae) ranges from northern Utah west to the California coast and north to southern British Columbia. These snakes are among the first reptile species to emerge from brumation in the spring and can be found sunning themselves on the south and west-facing rocky hillsides in Cache and Box Elder Counties.
Rubber Boa Description
Adult rubber boas have a size range that is anywhere from 1.25 to 2.76 ft (38 to 84 cm) long. On the other hand, newborns typically range from 7.5 to 9.1 inches (19 to 23 cm) in length.
Rubber boas are rather interesting-looking snakes. They get their name from their rubbery appearance. Their skin consists of small scales and is shiny, loose, and wrinkled. This gives the snakes a rubbery look and texture. In color, they are usually tan to dark brown on top, fading to a lighter-colored belly, which has the potential to be olive green, yellow, or orange.
Newborn rubber boas are pink and slightly transparent.
A rubber boa has a short, blunted head that is no wider than its body. Their eyes are small with vertically elliptical pupils. They have short and blunt tails that closely resemble the shape of their heads.
Rubber boas prey on small mammals such as mice, voles, shrews, and pocket gophers and also small birds and reptiles. They kill by constriction like their larger relatives do in South America. They also raid rodent nests where they will consume an entire litter of baby mice, for example. Their blunt-ended tails often are scarred since they use them to ward off irate rodent mothers.
Common Kingsnake
The common king snake (Lampropeltis getula)is a non-venomous snake that is native to southern Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
King snakes come in a variety of colors depending on the habitat and subspecies. Most of their color morphs consist of dark coloration, such as black alternating with white bands.
Kingsnakes feed on rodents, amphibians, bird eggs, and other reptiles, such as snakes.
Their bodies produce an enzyme that breaks down pit viper snake venom. Consequently, in addition to non-poisonous snakes, they feed on rattlesnakes, copperheads, cottonmouths, and coral snakes since they’re immune to their venom. This fact gives rise to their common name, “kingsnake”. They are the king of snakes.
Arizona Mountain Kingsnake
The Arizona mountain kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana), also called the Sonoran mountain kingsnake is native to the state of Arizona and southern Utah.
In a case of Batesian mimicry, the Arizona Mountain kingsnake closely resembles the venomous coral snake. However, the kingsnake’s red rings are bordered by black rings, and the coral snake’s red rings, are bordered by yellow rings. Here’s a rhyme that people use to help them differentiate between coral snakes and their mimics. “Red touches black, you’re o.k., Jack,” and “If red touches yellow, you’re a dead fellow.”
California Kingsnake
The California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae) is a kingsnake sub-species that is native to the western United States and northern Mexico.
These snakes come in a wide range of color morphs in the wild. They generally have alternating dark and white bands, such as black and white or brown and cream. However, in some populations, they have horizontal stripes instead of bands.
California kingsnakes are generally 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet long. In some populations, though, they are considerably larger. For example, on Islas Angel de la Guarda, Baja California, Mexico, they grow up to 78 inches long. See
Milk Snakes
The milk snake is a species of king snake. Utah is home to the Utah milk snake( L.t. taylori).
The Utah milk snake is a tri-colored snake. In other words, its body coloring is made up of a pattern of alternating bands of 3 different colors.
Generally, these colors are black, red, and yellow. The red may be substituted with orange, and the yellow might actually be white. According to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources website, this snake’s color scheme might be due to the mimicry of the venomous coral snake. However, wild coral snakes do not live in Utah. As with the Arizona mountain kingsnake, the way to tell the two serpents apart is that the yellow or white bands and the red bands on coral snakes touch each other. On the other hand, on milk snakes, these two colors are separated by black bands.
These snakes are 18 to 36 inches long. Their range exists throughout the state of Utah at elevations between 4000 and 7500 feet. They may live in environments from pinyon-juniper woodlands to scrub oak to grassland. See
North American Racer
The North American racer (Coluber constrictor) is a slender nonvenomous snake that ranges from southern British Columbia and Saskatchewan southward through the majority of the contiguous 48 states.
As stated, these snakes are slender-bodied and range from 20 to 65 inches in length. Their color varies from uniform greenish-gray to brown or blue on their backs and sides. Their bellies vary from whitish to pale yellow. The color on their belly extends forward onto the scales of the upper lips and nose. Their heads are rounded, and their eyes are proportionately large.
Young North American racers (up to about 20 inches) are differently colored than adults. They have a series of brown, edged with black blotches which run the length of the snake. See
Gopher Snakes
Utah has the Great Basin gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola). This snake ranges throughout Utah and also throughout the western United States and southwestern Canada. The Great Basin gopher snake is a large snake. In fact, according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Facebook page, some specimens measure up to 8 feet. See, However, they usually measure 4 to 4 1/2 feet in length.
Gopher snakes are tan or cream-colored with dark blotches that are mostly dark brown. When they are in a defensive posture, they may rare up, elevate and inflate their body, flatten their head into a triangular shape, and hiss while vibrating their tails in a manner similar to a rattlesnake.
Since they often live in rattlesnake country, it’s easy to misidentify a gopher snake as a rattler. However, gopher snakes have rounded heads rather than the triangular-shaped ones that rattlesnakes have. They also lack pit organs and rattles. One more difference that the non-venomous gopher snake has that differentiates it from a rattlesnake is in the eyes. A rattlesnake has vertical slit pupils, while a gopher snake has round ones.
Great Plains Rat Snake
The great plains rat snake (Pantherophis emoryi) is a non-venomous snake that is native to parts of the United States and Northern Mexico.
These snakes are generally gray to tan in color with dark brown, grey, or greenish-gray blotches on their backs.
Rat snakes live in areas with relatively rodent populations since rodents are their primary food source. These snakes also prey on small birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They kill their prey by constriction.
At times in the past, the population of rat snakes in eastern Utah and western Colorado have been recognized as a subspecies. They are a smaller snake. In most cases, they are less than 3 feet in length and have a higher number of dorsal blotches than Great Plains rat snakes in other parts of their range.
Sonoran Lyre Snake
The Sonoran Lyre snake (Trimorphodon lambda) is a thin snake that can get up to 4 feet long. It gets its name from the markings on its head that resemble a lyre harp. This marking is more prominent in females. They have a light brown-colored body with dark brown saddle markings on top, while the belly is a creamy white color scattered with brown spots. They look similar to a king snake until you notice the narrow neck, which makes its head appear triangular. Their pupils are vertical slits like other venomous snakes rather than round. They are rarely seen because they are nocturnal. This snake is mildly venomous but not considered dangerous to humans.
Spotted Leaf-Nosed Snake
The Spotted Leaf-Nosed Snake (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus) is a small, non-venomous snake that is native to the desert southwest of the United States and northwestern Mexico.
These snakes are up to 1 foot long. In color, they are pink, cream, or tan color with irregularly shaped blotches that are dark grey or black along their back, from their head to their tail. Spotted leaf-nosed snakes have large, upturned scale over the nose, which resembles a leaf. Since they use their noses to push through sandy soil, the reinforcement that the heavy nose scale provides comes in handy for them.
These snakes are heavy-bodied for their size, which can help differentiate them from the more commonly-seen variety of other small, ground-dwelling snakes.
Glossy Snake
The glossy snake (Arizona elegans), sometimes referred to as the faded snake, lives in the southwestern United States and Mexico. They inhabit San Juan, Kane, and Washington Counties in southern Utah.
Glossy snakes are similar to gopher snakes in coloration and markings. However, they are smaller, with their total length varying from 30 to 50 inches, and they have narrower heads than gopher snakes.
Night Snake
The night snake (Hypsiglena torquata) is classified with the non-venomous snakes. However, even though these snakes are not harmful to humans, they are actually rear-fanged and mildly venomous. They use Their venom primarily to immobilize small prey such as rodents and small reptiles.
Night snakes range from southern British Columbia south through the western United States into Mexico.
Night snakes are light gray or light brown, in color, with dark grey or brown blotches on the back and side of the snake. Their heads are flat and triangular-shaped, with a dark bar behind each eye.
Ground Snake
The western ground snake (Sonora semiannulata) is a small snake which is endemic to North America. They range from northern Mexico in the south to Oregon in the north.
Their preferred habitat is dry, rocky areas with loose soil.
Western ground snakes attain lengths of between 8 and 19 inches. Their color is variable. They vary from brilliant orange or red or brown with black or dark brown bands. Individuals may also have orange or brown striping or be solid colored. See
Ground snakes prey on arachnids, insects, and other invertebrates such as scorpions, crickets, and centipedes.
In Utah, ground snakes inhabit the more arid regions of the state.
Striped Whipsnake
The striped whipsnake (Masticophis taeniatus) is a non-venomous snake that is native to the western United States and Northern Mexico. In Utah, it is spread throughout the Great Basin region.
Striped whipsnakes are anywhere between 30 and 72 inches long. They are a long slender snake. In fact, we derive their name from their long, slender whiplike appearance.
Their color ranges from olive, bluish-green, gray, reddish-brown, and black. Additionally, there are two horizontal light-colored stripes on each side of the snake.
Whip snakes prey on rodents, small birds, insects, amphibians, and reptiles, including venomous snakes such as rattlesnakes. See
Coachwhip
The coachwhip (Coluber flagellum) is a non-venomous snake that is common in the southern U.S., including the desert southwest and northern Mexico.
These snakes are long and thin-bodied with small heads and large round pupiled eyes. They vary in color with their environment. Most of the time, they are colored to blend in with the color of the soil in their habitat. Some color phases of coachwhip snake are called red racers. The pattern of coachwhip snake scales gives the illusion that the snake is braided. Adult coachwhips range in size from 50 to 72 inches. The record length for a coachwhip snake was a specimen of the eastern coachwhip sub-species, which measured 102 inches.
Coachwhips can travel up to 4 miles per hour which is fast for a snake. They feed on small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles. Coachwhips even kill and consume rattlesnakes. See
Long-nosed Snake
The long-nosed snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei) is a non-venomous snake that is native to North America.
The long-nosed snake is a tri-colored snake that slightly resembles a coral snake. They have red and black saddle-shaped bands on top of a cream-colored background. These snakes range in length between 22 and 32 inches. They have proportionately longer snouts that are upturned. This is the basis of their common name.
These snakes range in the Mexican states of San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, Durango, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Chihuahua. They also live in the American states of California, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas
Smooth Green Snake
The smooth green snake (Opheodrys vernalis), which is sometimes also called a grass snake, is a non-venomous snake that is native to North America. Its common name is derived from the smooth shiny scales it has along its back and sides, in contrast to the rough green snake.
The smooth green snake is uniformly light green along its back and sides. On their bellies, they are either white or yellow. They are slender-bodied snakes. In length, adult smooth green snakes range from 14 to 20 inches.
Smooth green snakes inhabit meadows, marshes, and streamside habitats in areas of Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Ring-necked Snake
The ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus) is a non-venomous snake that is common throughout eastern Canada, the majority of the United States, and Central Mexico.
These snakes are generally 10 to 15 inches long. However, one sub-species of ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus regalis) is longer on average at 15 to 18 inches. In coloration, they are olive to smokey black on their backs from the tip of their tail to their neck, where they have a yellow, red, or orange ring. However, some ring-necked snake populations in Utah and New Mexico do not have a neck ring. Ring-necked snakes are either brilliant orange or yellow on their bellies with black spots.
Smith’s black-headed snake
The Smith’s black-headed snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi) is a small, rear-fanged snake. Although they are venomous, their venom is harmless to mammals.
The largest Smith’s black-headed snake ever recorded measured 15 inches. However, these snakes average around 8 inches in total length. They are uniformly brown on their backs and sides up to their neck, where they have a white or cream-colored collar. In front of their neck collar, they have a shiny black head. They also have a red stripe that runs down the center of their belly.
Smith’s black-headed snakes reserve their venom for arthropods, which are their main prey animals.
Western patch-nosed snake
The western patch-nosed snake (Salvadora hexalepis) is a non-venomous snake that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Western patch-nosed snakes range from 20 to 46 inches in length. In color, they are yellowish tan with lateral blackish stripes. Additionally, they have a large thick scale that curves back over the top of the snout, which gives impetus to their common name.
Western patch-nosed snakes feed on reptiles such as snakes and lizards, rodents, and snake and lizard eggs.
Western Thread snake
The western threadsnake (Rena humilis) is also commonly known as the western blind snake. This non-venomous snake lives in underground burrows. Consequentially it doesn’t have much use for its eyes, which are mostly non-functional.
These snakes are usually less than a foot in length and resemble long earthworms. They are blunt at both ends and either pink or silvery brown in color. Additionally, their skin is fluorescent under black light.
Thread snakes have a proportionately thick skull to accommodate burrowing. Interestingly, they sometimes burrow over 60 feet underground.
Thread snakes feed on insects and insect larvae. The natural habitat of these snakes is desert country with loose sandy soils that facilitate burrowing.
Utah’s Venomous Snake Species
I’ll make a brief mention of Utah’s venomous snake species here. We cover them in more detail in the article entitled Venomous Snakes of Utah.
Utah is home to 7 rattlesnake species. They are the following: The midget faded rattlesnake, the Great Basin rattlesnake, the Mojave Desert sidewinder, the Mojave rattlesnake or Mojave green rattlesnake, the Hopi rattlesnake, and the speckled rattlesnake.
Rattlesnakes are pit vipers. Some of the things they have in common are triangular-shaped heads, pit organs, a skin pattern that may be diamond-shaped or blotched, vertical pupils, long tubular fangs, and rattles on their tails which they vibrate as a warning when they feel threatened.
Twenty-five percent of adult Rattle snake bites are dry. In a dry bite, the snake doesn’t inject any venom. However, envenomation by any species of rattlesnake has the potential to produce medical complications. If you’ve been bitten by a rattlesnake, seek immediate medical attention.
One More Thing
The state of Utah classifies all snakes as non-game animals. Consequently, they are protected by Utah state law. In Utah, person cannot collect or possess a live wild snake without being granted a certificate of registration for that snake from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. See
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