Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.
North Carolina has 6 venomous snakes named by official sources: Carolina Pygmy Rattlesnake, Copperhead, Eastern Coral Snake, Eastern Cottonmouth, Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake and Timber Rattlesnake. Each one is labelled venomous by N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.
Recognize them from a distance; a photo cannot confirm that a snake is safe. Identifying animals safely.
Sistrurus miliarius miliarius
Venom: “This venomous snake feeds on lizards, mice, and frogs.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)
Agkistrodon contortrix
Venom: “The copperhead is the most common and widespread venomous snake in North Carolina.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)
Micrurus fulvius
Venom: “The beautiful, highly venomous coral snake takes its name from its bright colors, reminiscent of those found in some species of coral.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Venom: “The venomous cottonmouth, like all pit vipers, has a facial pit for sensing infrared radiation (heat), but unlike rattlesnakes, it lacks a rattle.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)
Crotalus adamanteus
Venom: “Though venomous, the snake prefers to escape first.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)
Crotalus horridus
Venom: “They are venomous and are most common in the mountains and Coastal Plain.” (N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission)
See all 41 snakes, venomous and not, on North Carolina snakes. N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission gives North Carolina 38 snake species in all; that page lists the 41 that official sources name one by one.
Milk Snake Non-venomous
Copperhead Venomous
The copperhead's head is coppery with no marks; the milksnake's head is light with brownish marks (Pennsylvania). Tennessee: copperhead has a copper-colored, unmarked head and triangular shapes on the side of the body. Pennsylvania says the eastern milksnake is the snake most often killed by mistake for a copperhead. Belly colour is not used here: Pennsylvania's own pages describe the copperhead belly two different ways (uniform cream in one account, mottled white to gray in another).
Milk Snake Non-venomous
Corn Snake Non-venomous
Tennessee: the corn snake has a spear-point pattern between the eyes and a striped underside of the tail; milksnakes lack striping under the tail. Both have checkerboard bellies, so the belly alone does not separate them.
Milk Snake Non-venomous
Scarlet Kingsnake Non-venomous
Scarlet kingsnake has a red snout and red, black and yellow bands in which red touches black but not yellow; its pattern continues onto the belly (Tennessee). Louisiana: the snout is always red and the rings continue across the belly. Tennessee still lists it as a milksnake subspecies (L. t. elapsoides); Louisiana lists it as Lampropeltis elapsoides.
Copperhead Venomous
Cottonmouth (water moccasin) Venomous
Also venomous. Juvenile cottonmouths have many dark spots and speckles inside their dark crossbands (copperhead bands have none or at most one). The Florida Museum says adult Florida cottonmouths are typically uniformly dark, but SCDNR says cottonmouth color ranges from dark brown and black to olive drab and yellow-tan, so a pale snake is not ruled out. The copperhead's eye is not obscured by the dark facial band typical of the cottonmouth. Cottonmouths are almost always associated with wetlands.
Copperhead Venomous
Eastern milk snake Non-venomous
Milk snake blotches are outlined in black and widest across the middle of the back; belly is a black-and-white checkerboard (copperhead belly is mottled white to gray).
Copperhead Venomous
Corn snake Non-venomous
Longer and slender with smooth, shiny scales, an elongated head and square, black-outlined blotches; more red, orange and yellow.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
Records of snakes in North Carolina peak in April to July. They show when people record snakes, not how many there are (about month bars).
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
Official advice from N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, US Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Poison Help and CDC / NIOSH:
NC Wildlife Helpline (NCWRC), Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.: 866-318-2401; email [email protected]. Aquatic invasive species: NCWRC Aquatic Nuisance Species Reporting Tool (https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/710337fbf02140599fd788ebfdd72744). Rattlesnake sightings: [email protected] or HerpMapper. Wildlife violations / alligator emergencies: 800-662-7137. Yellow-legged hornet: www.ncagr.gov/YLH (NCDA&CS). N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission
The species list comes from 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 State Wildlife Action Plan (approved by USFWS January 2026)).
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
“There are 38 species of snakes in North Carolina and most are harmless to people.”
“The copperhead is the most common and widespread venomous snake in North Carolina.”
“The pupils are vertical and elliptical, and there is a heat sensory pit between the eye and nostril.”
“The great majority of bites can be prevented by exercising common sense: copperheads should be left alone.”
“Copperheads mate in the spring and fall. Females give birth to 3 to 14 (up to 20) live young during the late summer or early fall.”
“Harmless (Nerodia fasciata)”
“Harmless (Virginia valeriae)”
“Harmless (Carphophis amoenus)”
“Harmless (Opheodrys aestivus)”
“Harmless (Cemophora coccinea)”
“Harmless (Lampropeltis elapsoides)”
“Harmless (Tantilla coronata)”
“They are often mistaken for cottonmouths because of brown skin with squarish blotches running down the center of their back, but they are non-venomous.”
“As a defense, they release a musk, but rarely bite, and are non-venomous.”
“This venomous snake feeds on lizards, mice, and frogs.”
“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.”
“This non-venomous watersnake is reddish brown and usually cross-banded.”
“The snake is non-venomous.”
“They eat small snakes, lizards, and mice and are non-venomous.”
“The corn snake is non-venomous”
“The beautiful, highly venomous coral snake takes its name from its bright colors, reminiscent of those found in some species of coral.”
“Still, these snakes should never be handled or in any way molested or harmed.”
“It is one of North Carolina’s most rarely encountered terrestrial vertebrates, and is state listed as Endangered.”
“Some nonvenomous snakes are often misidentified as coral snakes, especially the Scarlet Kingsnake”
“The venomous cottonmouth, like all pit vipers, has a facial pit for sensing infrared radiation (heat), but unlike rattlesnakes, it lacks a rattle.”
“The head is distinctly wider than the neck, with a dark bar on both sides from the eye to the angle of the jaw. … the pupils of the eyes are vertically elliptical.”
“…the cottonmouth derives its common name from the white color of the inside of its mouth, which is revealed when the snake gapes to defend itself.”
“Females give birth to a litter of 3–14 young between August and October.”
“Though venomous, the snake prefers to escape first.”
“The eastern garter snake is non-venomous”
“They are non-venomous with enlarged teeth for swallowing.”
“The snake is non-venomous and active during the day.”
“This non-venomous watersnake has a shiny black body and red bars extending on both sides.”
“It eats small frogs and salamanders and is non-venomous.”
“The non-venomous watersnake eats primarily crayfish with teeth that can hold onto the hard shells.”
“These non-venomous snakes are strong constrictors.”
“This non-venomous snake is solid black with a white chin.”
“The snake eats snails, slugs and earthworms and is non-venomous.”
“The Northern pine snake is non-venomous”
“The ring-necked snake is non-venomous.”
“This non-venomous snake feeds on lizards and frogs.”
“This non-venomous watersnake is gray with one light stripe on each side.”
“This non-venomous watersnake eats amphibians like salamanders and tadpoles.”
“The rat snake is non-venomous”
“Their relatively slender bodies are shaped like a loaf of bread in a cross section”
“This non-venomous snake eats slugs.”
“Red-bellied Watersnake Non-venomous watersnake”
“Living underground in rotting logs, this non-venomous snake eats earthworms and soft-bodied insects.”
“These non-venomous snakes are found in sandy fields and woods of the Coastal Plain and Sandhills region.”
“They are venomous and are most common in the mountains and Coastal Plain.”
“The best plan is to leave the snake alone and give it plenty of space.”
“The N. C. Wildlife Resources Commission does not send people out to trap and remove snakes.”
“If you or someone you know are bitten by a snake, right away call Poison Help (1-800-222-1222), which connects you to your local poison center.”
“Seek emergency medical attention as soon as possible”
“The warm weather means more snakes will start to show up along trails, in the woods, crossing roads and in our yards.”
“The Wildlife Helpline is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call: 866-318-2401”
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