Snake Encyclopedia
Search and identify 1,000+ snakes from around the world — with family, range, size, habitat, and how to tell similar species apart.
Radiated Rat Snake
A slender, fast-moving colubrid recognized by the radiating dark stripes across its head, common across South and Southeast Asian lowlands.
Rainbow Snake
A glossy, iridescent black snake with three bright red or pink stripes running the length of its body, closely tied to freshwater eel populations.
Rat Snake
A large, fast-moving snake widespread across South and Southeast Asia, valued for controlling rodent populations.
Ravergier's Snake
A slender, fast-moving diurnal whip snake found across arid and semi-arid habitats from the eastern Mediterranean through the Caucasus into Central Asia.
Red Milk Snake
A tricolor milk snake subspecies from the central US, known for its vivid red, black, and white/yellow banding that mimics coral snakes.
Red Vine Snake
A slender, laterally compressed arboreal colubrid of the Amazon known for its striking red, black, and yellow banded pattern.
Red Whip Snake
A slender, reddish-toned whip snake found in arid regions of the Middle East, recognized by its fast movement and warm coloration.
Red-Bellied Snake
A tiny woodland colubrid best known for its bright red or orange belly, common across eastern North America.
Red-necked Keelback
An Asian colubrid notable for the bright red-orange patch on its neck.
Red-tailed Racer
A slender, bright green arboreal snake from Southeast Asian rainforests, distinguished by the reddish-brown coloration of its tail contrasting with its emerald green body.
Redback Coffee Snake
A small, secretive leaf-litter snake with a distinctive reddish stripe down its back, common in Central American forests.
Redbelly Water Snake
A heavy-bodied water snake with a plain dark back and a bright reddish-orange belly, common along ponds and swamps of the American South.
Reddish Whip Snake
A slender, fast-moving colubrid with a reddish-brown, striped pattern, widely distributed across arid regions of the Middle East and Central Asia.
Rhombic Egg-eater
A patterned southern African egg-eating snake, closely related to (and often considered the same species complex as) the common egg-eater, marked by bold diamond-shaped dorsal blotches.
Rim Rock Crowned Snake
A rare, tiny Florida endemic snake with a dark crown-like head cap, restricted to limestone rockland habitat.
Ring-Necked Snake
A small, secretive colubrid identified by a bright ring of color around its neck, common across much of North America.
Ringed Snail-eater
An alternate name for the boldly ringed Central American snail-eating snake, distinguished by its complete encircling bands of color.
Ringneck Snake
A small, widespread North American snake recognized by a bright yellow, orange, or cream neck ring against a dark, uniform body.
Road Guarder
A striped ground snake often seen basking on roads and open paths in dry tropical habitats.
Rough Earth Snake
A tiny, plain-colored, fossorial colubrid common in leaf litter and gardens across the southeastern United States.
Rough Earthsnake
A tiny, drab, keeled-scaled snake commonly hidden beneath leaf litter and garden debris across the Southeast.
Rough Green Snake
A slender, bright green colubrid with keeled scales, common in shrubs and vegetation near water across the southeastern US.
Royal Ground Snake
A small, brightly marked ground-dwelling colubrid found in open and forested habitats across northern South America.
Rufous Beaked Snake
A fast-moving, ground-dwelling African snake named for its distinctive upturned, beak-like snout used for burrowing and probing after prey.
Russell's Kukri Snake
A small kukri snake of the Indian subcontinent named after herpetologist Patrick Russell.
Ruthven's Kingsnake
A strikingly banded highland kingsnake of central Mexico, often patterned in red, black, and cream tricolor rings.
Saddled Leaf-Nosed Snake
A larger relative of the Spotted Leaf-Nosed Snake bearing bold, saddle-shaped brown blotches along its back.
Salmon-bellied Racer
A slender, fast-moving racer named for its pale salmon or pinkish belly, common in Central American lowlands.
Salt Marsh Snake
A slender water snake specialized for life in coastal salt marshes and mangrove habitats.
San Diego Gopher Snake
A large southern California gopher snake subspecies frequently seen in coastal sage scrub and chaparral habitats.
San Luis Potosi Kingsnake
A boldly banded Mexican highland kingsnake with striking red, black, and cream tricolor rings.
Satiny Parrot Snake
A slender, iridescent green arboreal snake of Central American rainforests with a glossy, satin-like sheen.
Scarlet Kingsnake
A small, vividly banded red, black, and yellow kingsnake of the southeastern US that resembles the coral snake.
Scarlet Snake
A small, secretive, banded snake often confused with coral snakes.
Schokari Sand Racer
A slender, fast-moving desert racer common across North Africa and the Middle East, notable for its speed and daytime hunting habits.
Schott's Whipsnake
A slender, fast-moving whipsnake of South Texas brushlands, patterned with pale crossbands on a darker ground color.
Semi-ornate Sand Snake
A fast, slender, striped sand snake found across dry savanna and semi-desert regions of Africa.
Semiornate Snake
A large, patterned African bush snake with cross-barring on the neck and one of the bigger species in its genus.
Sharp-Tailed Snake
A small, secretive Pacific coast colubrid named for the sharp, spine-like tip of its tail, and a specialized predator of slugs.
Short-Tailed Kingsnake
A small, secretive Florida endemic with a slender body and reduced tail, rarely seen due to its burrowing habits.
Short-headed Garter Snake
A small, range-restricted garter snake found only in a narrow area of Pennsylvania and New York, specialized for hunting earthworms.
Short-snouted Grass Snake
A grassland-dwelling sand snake of southern Africa recognized by its relatively short snout and active daytime habits.
Sierra Garter Snake
An aquatic garter snake restricted to Sierra Nevada foothill streams and rivers of California.
Sinai Diadem Snake
A robust desert colubrid with a bold, saddle-like blotched pattern, known for its bluffing threat display and wide desert distribution.
Sinaloan Milk Snake
A brightly banded milk snake from western Mexico, known for its vivid red, black, and white/yellow tricolor rings.
Sind Awl-Headed Snake
A small, secretive burrowing colubrid of the arid Indus region, named for its narrow, pointed, awl-shaped snout adapted for pushing through sand.
Slender Racer
A slim, fast-moving whip snake found in dry, open habitats from the Balkans through the Middle East to Central Asia.
Slowinski's Corn Snake
A regional corn snake species found along the Texas-Louisiana border, closely resembling the more widespread corn snake but occupying a distinct range.