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Are there rattlesnakes in North Carolina?

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. The answer
  2. More official answers
  3. Which ones
  4. Where in the US
  5. Lookalikes
  6. Sources

Yes.

Three species: Eastern Diamondback, Timber and Pigmy Rattlesnake, all protected under the N.C. Endangered Species Act.

N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission: “North Carolina is home to three rattlesnake species: the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake and Pigmy Rattlesnake.” Source

How we answer questions

  • Are there coral snakes in North Carolina?

    Rarely. The Eastern Coral Snake is state-listed Endangered and one of NC's most rarely encountered vertebrates; found only in the southeastern corner of the state. N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

  • Are there water moccasins in North Carolina?

    Yes. The cottonmouth (water moccasin) occurs in the coastal plain and sandhills. NC State Extension

  • Are there copperheads in North Carolina?

    Yes. Copperheads occur across North Carolina except the Outer Banks (Extension); NCWRC lists abundance as statewide. NC State Extension

The 3 on North Carolina's list

Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake
Photo: jakeschneider00 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · iNaturalist · resized

Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake

Sistrurus miliarius miliarius

Venomous per N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Where in North Carolina
Pigmy rattlesnakes reach a length of 26 inches and occur primarily in the eastern and southeastern coastal plain and sandhills of North Carolina. NC State Extension
Conservation
NC State Protection Status: SC
What the sources say

Venom: “This venomous snake feeds on lizards, mice, and frogs.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Photo: Kent P. McFarland · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

Crotalus adamanteus

Venomous per N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Size
Most adults 33 to 72 inches (about 3 to 6 feet); record 99 inches.
How to recognize it
  • Light-bordered dark stripe running diagonally through each eye
  • Tail ends in a rattle, often held above the ground
  • Cat-like vertical pupil and a deep heat-sensing pit between nostril and eye
Where in North Carolina
This rare snake occurs only in the southeastern corner of North Carolina. NC State Extension
Conservation
Federal ESA Protection Status: At-Risk; NC State Protection Status: E
What the sources say

Venom: “Though venomous, the snake prefers to escape first.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)

Full Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake guide

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

Timber Rattlesnake

Crotalus horridus

Venomous per N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission

Size
Most adults 36 to 60 inches (3 to 5 feet); record 74.5 inches.
How to recognize it
  • Black tail ending in a rattle
  • Heat-sensing pit between nostril and eye
  • Large, thick head distinct from the neck; cat-like vertical pupil
Where in North Carolina
Dorsally, the scales are keeled and vary in color across their range. NC State Extension
Conservation
NC State Protection Status: SC
41 records by month.
What the sources say

Venom: “They are venomous and are most common in the mountains and Coastal Plain.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)

Full Timber Rattlesnake guide

All snakes in the state: North Carolina snakes.

Where the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake lives in the US

Georgia: on the state's official listLouisiana: on the state's official listFlorida: on the state's official listMississippi: on the state's official listNorth Carolina: on the state's official listSouth Carolina: on the state's official listAlabama: on the state's official list
Official presence. 7 states where a state list or official source names it. Gray means no official record in our data, not that it is absent.
  • Native or listed
  • Nonnative or not established
  • No official record in our data
Georgia: 11 recordsFlorida: 135 recordsOhio: 1 recordMississippi: 6 recordsSouth Carolina: 1 record
Observation records. Open-licence records on GBIF in 5 states. Records are sightings people shared, not confirmation that a population lives there.
  • 1–9
  • 10–99
  • 100–999
  • 1,000+

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake: identification, range and danger

What else it could be

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

    Timber Rattlesnake

    Timber rattlesnake has black chevron-like crossbands, a reddish stripe down the middle of the back and a black tail; Florida Museum says it is the only other rattlesnake likely to be confused with the diamondback in Florida.

  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
    Photo: Gary Stolz (original) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

    Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

    Arizona Game and Fish: the western diamondback's tail has alternating black and white bands of roughly equal width, and a thin light stripe runs back and down from the rear corner of the eye to the upper lip.

When snakes are seen in North Carolina

3,373 records (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY).

Other questions about North Carolina

Sources

  1. Rattlesnakes of North Carolina / Rattlesnake Sightings Wanted (NCPARC, NCWRC). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “North Carolina is home to three rattlesnake species: the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake and Pigmy Rattlesnake.”
  2. 2025 SWAP Appendix 3 Table 3-7 REPTILES SGCN and Priority Species List (2025 WAP Revision Taxa Team Evaluations). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. 2025 NC SWAP; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. Pigmy Rattlesnake (NCWRC species page). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “This venomous snake feeds on lizards, mice, and frogs.”
  4. Snakes: Family Viperidae (AG-472-02). NC State Extension (N.C. Cooperative Extension, NC State University). Publication date: Aug. 21, 2019; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (2)
    “The cottonmouth (sometimes called water moccasin) can reach a length of 71 inches and occurs in the coastal plain and sandhills of North Carolina.”
    “They are the most common venomous snake in the state and occur across North Carolina, except for the Outer Banks.”
  5. Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (NCWRC species page). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Though venomous, the snake prefers to escape first.”
  6. Timber Rattlesnake (NCWRC species page). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “They are venomous and are most common in the mountains and Coastal Plain.”
  7. Eastern Coral Snake (NCWRC species page). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “It is one of North Carolina’s most rarely encountered terrestrial vertebrates, and is state listed as Endangered.”
  8. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.