List of snakes in Colorado

This is a list of the known venomous and non-venomous snakes in Colorado, United States.

Non-Venomous Snakes

Blind Snake: Rare (Texas)New Mexican Blind Snake - Leptotyphlops d. dissectus (S.E. CO)

Glossy Snake: Secure Kansas Glossy Snake - Arizona e. elegans (E. CO) Painted Desert Glossy Snake - Arizona e. philipi (S.W. CO)

Racer: Common E. Yellow Bellied Racer - Coluber c. flaviventris (E. CO) W. Yellow Bellied Racer - Coluber c. mormon (W. CO)

Ringneck Snake: Secure Prairie Ringneck Snake - Diadophis p. arnyi (S.E. CO) Regal Ringneck Snake - Diadophis p. regalis (Note noted with hammerson, this could be a possible occurrence in extreme S.W. CO)

Great Plains Ratsnake: Common

Pantherophis g. emoryi Pantherophis g. intermontana(Valid subspecies?)

Western Hognose Snake: Nasicus is secure. Plains Hognose Snake - Heterodon n. nasicus (E. CO) E. Hognose Snake - Heterodon platirhinos (Extreme E. CO)

Night Snake: Secure Texas Nightsnake - Hypsiglena t. janii (S.E. CO) Mesa Verde Nightsnake - Hypsiglena t. loreala (W. CO)

Common Kingsnake: Uncommon Kingsnake Intergrade - Lampropeltis g. hoolbrooki/splendida(Speckled/Desert) S.E. CO California Kingsnake - Lampropeltis g. californiae (Extreme S.W. CO)

Milk Snake: Secure Utah Milksnake - Lampropeltis t. taylori (West-Central CO) Lampropeltis t. taylori/celaenops (Utah/New Mex) S.W. & South-Central CO Lampropeltis t. multistriata/gentilis(Pale/Central Plains) N.E. CO Central Plains Milksnake - Lampropeltis t. gentilis/ Rest of E. CO Note: Could be variants instead of subspecies.

Green Snake: Secure W. Smooth Green Snake - Liochlorophis vernalis blanchardi (Central to Western Slope)

Coachwhip: Common W. Coachwhip - Masticophis f. testaceus (East to South-Central to Southeastern CO) Red Coachwhip - Masticophis f. piceus ( This snake may occur in extreme S.W. Colorado, but there is no evidence to suggest such. The closest populations are in S.W. Utah. Striped Whipsnake: Common Desert Striped Whipsnake - Masticophis t. taeniatus (W. CO)

Watersnake: Secure Northern Watersnake - Nerodia s. sipedon (N.E. to S.W. CO)

Bullsnake/Gophersnake: Common Bullsnake - Pituophis c. sayi (Eastern Slope) Great Basin Gophersnake - Pituophis c. deserticola (Western Slope) Sonoran Gophersnake - Pituophis c. affinis ( Intergradation may occur with deserticola in Colorado)

Longnose Snake: Uncommon Texas Longnose Snake - Rhinocheilus l. tessellatus (S.E. CO)

Ground Snake: Secure W. Ground Snake - Sonora semiannulata (S.E. CO) Note: This could also occur in N.W. CO.

Black-headed Snake: Secure S.W. Black-headed Snake - Tantilla hobartsmithi (W. CO) Plains Black-headed Snake - Tantilla n. nigriceps (Eastern Slope)

Garter Snake: W. Blackneck Garter Snake - Thamnophis c. cyrtopsis (S.E. to S.W. CO) Uncommon Western Terrestrial Garter Snake - Thamnophis e. vagrans (Most of Colorado) Common W. Plains Garter Snake - Thamnophis r. haydenii (Eastern Slope) Common Red Sided Garter Snake - Thamnophis s. parietalis (North-Central to N.E. CO) Common Arid Land Ribbonsnake - Thamnophis p. diabolicus (S.E. CO) RARE!

Brown Snake: Rare(May be extirpated) Texas Brown Snake - Storeria d. texana (This species was reportedly found in Las Animas County by Arthur E. Beardsley(1883). This species may be extirpated, but fieldherping might yield specimens.

Lined Snake - Tropidoclonion l. lineatum (Generally Eastern Slope) Secure

Rubber Boa - Charina bottae (This species may occur in Colorado, but no substantial evidence suggest such, as of yet.)

Western Rattlesnake: Common Prairie Rattlesnake(Crotalus v. viridis) Most of the state. Midget Faded Rattlesnake(Crotalus v. concolor) Western Half of state.

Massasauga: Secure Western Massasauga(Integrade between S.c. edwardsii and S.c.tergeminus)