Missouri snakes: ID chart
43 snakes, 6 venomous (listed first). Last checked November 3, 2026.
The 6 venomous snakes come first: Eastern Copperhead, Eastern Massasauga, Northern Cottonmouth, Prairie Massasauga, Timber Rattlesnake, Western Pygmy 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 Missouri. The chart prints on letter or A4 paper; on screen, open any name on the Missouri snakes page for photos, range and sources.
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Eastern Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
Venomous
Statewide, except for extreme northern border with Iowa.
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Eastern Massasauga
Sistrurus catenatus
Venomous
Along the Mississippi River floodplain north from St. Louis.
Northern Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Venomous
Southeastern corner and a spotty distribution in the Ozark Region.
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Prairie Massasauga
Sistrurus tergeminus tergeminus
Venomous
North-central and northwestern corner of the state.
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Timber Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
Venomous
Statewide.
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Western Pygmy Rattlesnake
Sistrurus miliarius streckeri
Venomous
Counties bordering Arkansas and the eastern Missouri Ozarks.
Broad-Banded Watersnake
Nerodia fasciata confluens
Non-venomous
Restricted to the southeastern corner of the state.
Bullsnake
Pituophis catenifer sayi
Non-venomous
Most common along the western grassland areas of the state with scattered locations throughout the Ozarks and …
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Dekay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi
Non-venomous
Statewide, but intergrades with the Texas brownsnake (Storeria dekayi texana) in the western part of the …
Dusty Hog-Nosed Snake
Heterodon nasicus gloydi
Non-venomous
Restricted to the sand prairie and savanna areas of southeastern Missouri.
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Eastern Black Kingsnake
Lampropeltis nigra
Non-venomous
Restricted to the southeastern corner of the state.
Eastern Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum
Non-venomous
Southern half of the state except for the southeastern corner.
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Eastern Foxsnake
Pantherophis vulpinus
Non-venomous
Restricted to a few counties along the Mississippi River floodplain north from St. Louis.
Eastern Gartersnake and Red-Sided Gartersnake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Non-venomous
Statewide. Eastern gartersnakes occur throughout the eastern half of the state …
Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake
Heterodon platirhinos
Non-venomous
Statewide.
Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum
Non-venomous
Statewide.
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Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racer and Southern Black Racer
Coluber constrictor
Non-venomous
Statewide, replaced by the southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) — a subspecies — in …
Flat-Headed Snake
Tantilla gracilis
Non-venomous
Southern half of the state except for the southeastern corner.
Graham's Crawfish Snake
Regina grahamii
Non-venomous
Statewide, except for the Ozarks.
Great Plains Groundsnake
Sonora episcopa
Non-venomous
Southwestern corner of the state.
Great Plains Ratsnake
Pantherophis emoryi
Non-venomous
Mainly wooded areas in the southern half of the state and along Missouri River counties, excluding …
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Kirtland's Snake
Clonophis kirtlandii
Non-venomous
Restricted to a few counties along the Mississippi River in the northeast corner of the state.
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Lined Snake
Tropidoclonion lineatum
Non-venomous
Lives mainly in the western part of the state with scattered populations in extreme northeast counties and …
Mississippi Green Watersnake
Nerodia cyclopion
Non-venomous
Restricted to the southeastern corner of the state.
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Northern Diamond-Backed Watersnake
Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer
Non-venomous
Absent from the Ozarks; common in southeastern corner, north along the Mississippi River floodplain, and in …
Northern Rough Greensnake
Opheodrys aestivus
Non-venomous
Throughout the southern two-thirds of the state.
Northern Scarletsnake
Cemophora coccinea copei
Non-venomous
Scattered counties in south-central and southern parts of the state.
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Northern Watersnake and Midland Watersnake
Nerodia sipedon
Non-venomous
Statewide. Northern watersnakes are found throughout the western and northern two-thirds of the state …
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Orange-Striped Ribbonsnake
Thamnophis proximus proximus
Non-venomous
Statewide
Plain-Bellied Watersnake (Yellow-Bellied Watersnake)
Nerodia erythrogaster
Non-venomous
Lives throughout southeastern Missouri, north along the Mississippi River floodplain, and in southwestern and …
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Plains Gartersnake
Thamnophis radix
Non-venomous
Occurs mainly in the north-central and western corner, with an isolated population in the eastern part of the …
Plains Hog-Nosed Snake
Heterodon nasicus nasicus
Non-venomous
Historically known to occur in the loess hill prairies in extreme northwestern counties.
Prairie Kingsnake
Lampropeltis calligaster
Non-venomous
Statewide.
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Prairie Ring-Necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus arnyi
Non-venomous
Nearly statewide, but likely replaced by the Mississippi ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus stictogenys) …
Red-Bellied Snake
Storeria occipitomaculata
Non-venomous
Statewide, except for several northwestern counties.
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Rough Earthsnake
Virginia striatula
Non-venomous
Southern half of the state excluding southeastern counties.
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Smooth Greensnake
Opheodrys vernalis
Non-venomous
Scattered counties in the northern half of the state.
Speckled Kingsnake
Lampropeltis holbrooki
Non-venomous
Statewide.
Western Foxsnake
Pantherophis ramspotti
Non-venomous
Restricted to a few counties in the northwestern corner of the state.
Western Mudsnake
Farancia abacura reinwardtii
Non-venomous
Restricted to the southeastern corner of the state.
Western Ratsnake
Pantherophis obsoletus
Non-venomous
Statewide, but shows some indication of being replaced by the gray ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides) in the …
Western Smooth Earthsnake
Virginia valeriae elegans
Non-venomous
Mainly southern half of the state with scattered populations in the north-central part of the state.
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Western Wormsnake
Carphophis vermis
Non-venomous
Statewide, except for extreme southeastern corner and a few counties in the north-central part of the state.
A picture cannot confirm what an animal is or that it is safe. Never handle a wild animal. Sources: A Guide to Missouri's Snakes (MDC publication E00448) (MDC); MDC Field Guide: Reptiles and Amphibians > Snakes (species accounts) (MDC). stateswildlife.com/missouri/snakes/