Snakes of Louisiana

Since we were children we have welcomed the gentle, non-poisonous Kingsnakes into our yard. Kingsnakes are constrictors that live in many types of habitat, but seem to prefer ridges and levees that border wet areas. They will kill and eat poisonous...

Plain-bellied Water snakes are found in every southeastern state in the U.S. They are stout snakes with dark brown, gray or greenish gray backs and bellies that range in color from yellow to red. In Louisiana, the Yellow-bellied and blotched water s...

The Broad-banded is the only species of Banded Watersnake that lives in Louisiana. They are found in bodies of water all over Louisiana and the Southeastern United States. Unfortunately, these stout non-poisonous watersnakes with colorful bellies, a...

The Diamond-back (or backed) Water Snake is a long, heavy-bodied, tan to gray-brown snake with a pattern of dark brown to black chain-like markings. The belly is yellow, but with dusky brown markings. As the name implies it lives in slow moving water...

Black Racers are very fast black snakes with a bluish cast to their scales. Other names for this handsome, non-venomous snake are Blue Racer, Blue Runner and Black Runner. The Southern Black Racer occurs in habitats all over Louisiana and through mo...

Rat Snakes are attractively marked, non-poisonous constrictors which primarily eat rats and mice and some birds and eggs. They are known for their climbing ability and their great length which can be up to 101 inches. In the south they are called Ch...

Garter and Ribbon snakes are beneficial, non-poisonous snakes. Garter Snakes are welcomed into gardens because they eat small rodents, snails, slugs and harmful insects among other things. There are several different species that inhabit Louisiana. M...

The Eastern Hognose Snake is a most unusual reptile with some very unique defense mechanisms, including puffing up like a cobra and playing dead. Although it is considered non-poisonous, in that it does not have fangs, it's saliva sometimes causes a...

The Ring-necked Snake is a small, harmless snake that lives in forested areas all over the Southeastern United States. It spends most of the daylight hours hiding under logs, but is active at night during the warm months of the year. Ring-necked Sna...

The Rough Green Snake is the only type of Green Snake that inhabits Louisiana. It is a slim, medium sized, non-poisonous snake, which is bright green in color. Rough Green snakes are egg layers and are excellent climbers.  

The Cottonmouth (which used to be called Cottonmouth Moccasin or Water Moccasin) is a venomous semi-aquatic snake. It is one of the five species of pit viper that inhabits Louisiana. It is also the only semi-aquatic viper in the world. The name, Cott...

Many people may be terrified of snakes, but there's really no need to fear these guys. Bull Snakes (also called Gopher snakes) are docile and do our habitats a great service by keeping down vermin populations. They eat mice, rats, rabbits, and prairi...

In this Lens, you'll find information on keeping snakes, and links to caresheets on another site for some species.  I'd like to dispel the myth that snakes are slimy and horrible - they're not! The picture is Snappy, a large-blotched python (Anta...

Growing up in Montana and New Mexico, I had plenty of chances for learning about some of the most dangerous aspects of hiking, camping, and otherwise enjoying the great outdoors in those areas. Most of the time (except when they are molting), the rat...

When we think of predators, frightening images come to mind. Our heart rate jumps and we glance around warily. In society predators have thrown off the balance of life and need to be stopped. It's another story in the wild. There is a check and balan...

Let's face it, many if not most people have some anxiety about snakes and with good cause. Snakes are wild reptiles that will bite and defend themselves if threatened. For the welfare of both humans and snakes, it is best to leave them alone and to a...

The ball python (Python regius) is a good snake for a beginning snake owner. Growing to a maximum size of 3-5 feet, ball pythons are not as large as many of the other constricting snakes that are kept as pets, and are quite docile and easy to handle....

One of the stranger animals you may encounter when you are snorkeling or scuba diving on a coral reef would be the sea snake. It would be wise to give a lot of room to this oceanic reptile. Because sea snakes comprise some of the most venomous and de...

Corn snakes are often thought of as the easiest reptiles in the world to take care of as pets. There are many reasons for this, and in this lens i am going to explain all about them.They're docile creatures that adopt to being handled easily and the...

Corn snakes are the easiest reptile in the world to take care of. They're docile creatures that adopt to being handled quite easily and the don't have the stringent heat and humidity requirements of other reptiles, making them great pets for the begi...