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Minnesota snakes: ID chart

17 snakes, 2 venomous (listed first). Last checked November 3, 2026.

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The 2 venomous snakes come first: Massasauga, Timber Rattlesnake. The rest follow from A to Z, each with a photo where we have one and a short note on where it lives in Minnesota. The chart prints on letter or A4 paper; on screen, open any name on the Minnesota snakes page for photos, range and sources.

Massasauga
Photo: User:Rstanton13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Massasauga

Sistrurus catenatus

Venomous

Southeast (historical; possibly extirpated)

Timber Rattlesnake
Photo: NPS Photo · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus

Venomous

Blufflands of southeastern Minnesota only

Common Gartersnake
Photo: kclarksdnhmorg · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Common Gartersnake

Thamnophis sirtalis

Non-venomous

Common Watersnake
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Common Watersnake

Nerodia sipedon

Non-venomous

DeKay’s Brownsnake
Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

DeKay’s Brownsnake

Storeria dekayi

Non-venomous

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
Photo: Joshua Liverman · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake

Heterodon platirhinos

Non-venomous

Gophersnake
Photo: National Park Service from USA · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Gophersnake

Pituophis catenifer

Non-venomous

Lined Snake
Photo: Peter Paplanus from St. Louis, Missouri · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Lined Snake

Tropidoclonion lineatum

Non-venomous

Milksnake
Photo: Tom Norton · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Milksnake

Lampropeltis triangulum

Non-venomous

North American Racer
Photo: Everglades NPS from Homestead, Florida, United States · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

North American Racer

Coluber constrictor

Non-venomous

Plains Gartersnake
Photo: Photo Credit: Krista Lundgren/USFWS USFWS Mountain-Prairie · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Plains Gartersnake

Thamnophis radix

Non-venomous

Plains Hog-nosed Snake
Photo: Dean Hester · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Plains Hog-nosed Snake

Heterodon nasicus

Non-venomous

Red-bellied Snake
Photo: Rstanton13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Red-bellied Snake

Storeria occipitomaculata

Non-venomous

Ring-necked Snake
Photo: Peter Paplanus from St. Louis, Missouri · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Ring-necked Snake

Diadophis punctatus

Non-venomous

Southeastern Minnesota (prairie ring-necked, D. p. arnyi) and Pine County and north (northern ring-necked, D …

Smooth Greensnake
Photo: User:Rstanton13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Smooth Greensnake

Opheodrys vernalis

Non-venomous

Western Foxsnake
Photo: Jonathan Bayer · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Western Foxsnake

Pantherophis ramspotti

Non-venomous

Western Ratsnake
Photo: Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Western Ratsnake

Pantherophis obsoletus

Non-venomous

A picture cannot confirm what an animal is or that it is safe. Never handle a wild animal. Sources: Snakes and Lizards of Minnesota (EWR_448_18) (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Nongame Wildlife Program); Rare Species Guide: Massasauga (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources); Avoiding and Treating Timber Rattlesnake Bites (Updated 2020) (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources). stateswildlife.com/minnesota/snakes/