How to Identify the Western Fox Snake (Identification Guide)
The Western Fox Snake is a stout, blotched snake of the upper Midwest, notable for its yellowish-brown body and reddish head that sometimes leads to mistaken identity as a copperhead.
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Key identifying features
The Western Fox Snake is a medium to large constrictor, typically 3 to 5 feet long, with a heavy body marked by a series of large, dark brown to black blotches running down a yellowish-tan to golden-brown background. Its reddish-orange head, especially prominent in adults, is a key identifying trait that sets it apart from many similar species.
Coloration & pattern
The dorsal blotches are squarish to rounded, dark brown, and bordered with black, spaced fairly evenly along the back, with smaller alternating blotches along the sides. Ground color ranges from pale yellow-tan to a richer golden brown. As snakes age, the head often develops a distinctly reddish or copper-orange hue, which combined with the blotched body pattern sometimes causes people to mistake it for a venomous species, despite the fox snake being entirely harmless.
Head, eyes & scales
The head is moderately broad and only slightly distinct from the neck, with large round pupils typical of nonvenomous snakes. Scales are keeled, giving the body a somewhat rough texture. The reddish head coloration usually intensifies with age, sometimes making adult heads noticeably brighter than the body.
Size & body shape
This is a stout-bodied snake with a thick midsection and a musky odor it can emit when handled or disturbed. Juveniles show the same blotched pattern as adults but with a grayer ground color and less pronounced red head coloration, which develops more fully as they mature.
Range & habitat where you'll see it
The Western Fox Snake is found in the upper Midwest, including parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and neighboring states, inhabiting prairies, marsh edges, agricultural fields, and open woodlands. It is often seen basking in open, grassy areas or near water.
How to tell it apart from look-alikes
Its blotched pattern and reddish head are sometimes confused with the copperhead, but the fox snake lacks the copperhead's hourglass-shaped crossbands and heat-sensing facial pits, and has round rather than vertically elliptical pupils. It can be distinguished from the bullsnake by its smaller size, smoother overall appearance, and different blotch shape, and from the eastern fox snake, its close relative, primarily by range, as the two occupy separate, non-overlapping regions on either side of Lake Michigan.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Western Fox Snake sometimes mistaken for a copperhead?
Its reddish-orange head and blotched body pattern superficially resemble a copperhead, though it lacks hourglass crossbands, heat-sensing pits, and elliptical pupils.
What color is the Western Fox Snake's head?
Adults often develop a distinctly reddish or copper-orange head, more vivid than the body.
Where does the Western Fox Snake live?
It is found in the upper Midwest, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa, in prairies and open habitats.
Is the Western Fox Snake venomous?
No, it is a nonvenomous constrictor.
Western Fox Snake identified by the community
Recent Western Fox Snake specimens identified with Snake Identifier.
