How to Identify Kirtland's Snake (Identification Guide)
A small, secretive gray-brown snake with rows of dark blotches and a strikingly pink to red belly bordered by black spots.
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Key identifying features
Kirtland's snake (Clonophis kirtlandii) is a small, thick-bodied snake best identified by its combination of a grayish-brown back marked with two rows of dark, rounded blotches and a vivid pink, red, or salmon belly edged with a row of black spots along each side. The colorful underside is the most reliable diagnostic feature when the snake can be observed closely from below.
Coloration & pattern
The dorsal surface is gray, grayish-brown, or reddish-brown, with two parallel rows of dark, rounded to oval blotches running down the back, sometimes appearing as four rows when smaller lateral spots are included. The belly is bright pink to red, unusual among North American snakes, and this colorful venter is bordered on each side by a conspicuous row of black spots.
Head, eyes & scales
The head is small and not strongly distinct from the neck, typically gray-brown with little bold facial marking. Eyes are relatively small with round pupils. Body scales are keeled, giving a slightly rough texture characteristic of natricine snakes.
Size & body shape
This is a small species, usually 25 to 48 cm (10 to 19 inches) in length, with a stocky, cylindrical body and a short tail. It is one of the smaller natricine snakes in its range.
Range & habitat where you'll see it
Kirtland's snake occurs in the midwestern United States, including Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and adjacent states, favoring wet meadows, marsh edges, prairie remnants, and moist areas near ponds, often under logs, boards, or debris. It is highly secretive, spending most of its time hidden, and is considered rare and of conservation concern across much of its range due to wetland habitat loss.
How to tell it apart from look-alikes
Brown snakes (Storeria dekayi) have a similar body shape and gray-brown color but lack the vivid pink-red belly with bordering black spots, instead showing a plain pale belly. Red-bellied snakes (Storeria occipitomaculata) also have a reddish belly but typically show three light neck spots and a more uniformly colored back without the double row of distinct dark blotches. The combination of dorsal blotching and a black-spotted pink-red belly is unique to Kirtland's snake among its regional look-alikes.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most distinctive feature of Kirtland's snake?
Its bright pink to red belly bordered by a row of black spots on each side, paired with gray-brown upperparts marked by dark blotches.
How does it differ from the red-bellied snake?
Kirtland's snake shows a double row of distinct dark blotches on its back and larger size, while the red-bellied snake typically has a more uniform back and three pale neck spots.
Is Kirtland's snake venomous?
No, it is a harmless, non-venomous species.
What habitat is Kirtland's snake associated with?
Wet meadows, marsh edges, and moist grassy areas near water in the midwestern United States.
Is Kirtland's snake commonly seen?
No, it is secretive and considered rare across much of its range, rarely seen in the open.