Tennessee snakes: ID chart
32 snakes, 4 venomous (listed first). Last checked November 3, 2026.
The 4 venomous snakes come first: Copperhead, Cottonmouth, Pygmy Rattlesnake, 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 Tennessee. The chart prints on letter or A4 paper; on screen, open any name on the Tennessee snakes page for photos, range and sources.
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Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
Venomous
One of 4 venomous snakes in Tennessee; this pit viper occurs across the entire state …
Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Venomous
These venomous snakes, also commonly known as “water moccasin,” occur in the western third of Tennessee …
Pygmy Rattlesnake
Sistrurus miliarius
Venomous
The Pygmy Rattlesnake (also Pigmy) is the smallest, and one of the least known, venomous snakes in Tennessee …
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Timber Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
Venomous
This is the largest, and the most dangerous, of the 4 venomous snakes in Tennessee; it occurs across the …
Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum
Not stated
One subspecies, Eastern Coachwhip (M. f. flagellum), occurs in the southwestern corner of the state.
Common Gartersnake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Non-venomous
This is one of the most common snakes throughout Tennessee …
Common Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula
Not stated
Three subspecies occur in the state: Eastern Kingsnake (L. g. getula) is found in extreme southeastern …
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DeKay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi
Non-venomous
There are 2 subspecies of this secretive snake in Tennessee: Midland Brownsnake (S. d. wrightorum), which …
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Diamond-backed Watersnake
Nerodia rhombifer
Not stated
One subspecies, Northern Diamond-backed Watersnake (N. r. rhombifer), occurs in the Mississippi and Tennessee …
Eastern Hog-nosed Snake
Heterodon platirhinos
Non-venomous
This snake, which has the most elaborate defensive behavior of any other snake in Tennessee, occurs across …
Eastern Ribbonsnake
Thamnophis sauritus
Non-venomous
Common Ribbonsnake (T. s. sauritus), the only subspecies in the state, occurs in West Tennessee and in …
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Eastern Wormsnake
Carphophis amoenus
Non-venomous
Two subspecies are recognized in Tennessee: Eastern Wormsnake (C. a. amoenus) and Midwestern Wormsnake (C. a …
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Gray Ratsnake
Pantherophis spiloides
Non-venomous
This common species, often referred to as the “chicken snake,” occurs across all of Tennessee.
Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum
Non-venomous
Three subspecies of this brightly colored and strongly patterned snake occur in Tennessee: Eastern Milksnake …
Mississippi Green Watersnake
Nerodia cyclopion
Not stated
This plain water snake occurs in the cypress swamps of extreme western Tennessee.
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North American Racer
Coluber constrictor
Non-venomous
Two subspecies are recognized in Tennessee: Northern Black Racer (C. c. constrictor) and Southern Black Racer …
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Northern Watersnake
Nerodia sipedon
Non-venomous
This is the most common watersnake in Tennessee and it occurs statewide …
Pinesnake
Pituophis melanoleucus
Non-venomous
These secretive snakes, which produce a loud hissing noise when encountered, are found across the state …
Plain-bellied Watersnake
Nerodia erythrogaster
Not stated
Yellow-bellied Watersnake (N. e. flavigastor) and Copper-bellied Watersnake (N. e. neglecta) are the 2 …
Queen Snake
Regina septemvittata
Non-venomous
Also known as the “willow snake” or “leather snake,” the Queen Snake occurs in Middle and East Tennessee.
Red Cornsnake
Pantherophis guttatus
Non-venomous
Occurs mainly in the southern two-thirds of East Tennessee and the southwestern corner of the state …
Red-bellied Mudsnake
Farancia abacura
Not stated
One subspecies, Western Mudsnake (F. a. reinwardtii), occurs in the western coastal plain of Tennessee.
Red-bellied Snake
Storeria occipitomaculata
Non-venomous
This secretive, but easily recognizable, snake has 2 subspecies in Tennessee: Northern Red-bellied Snake (S …
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Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus
Non-venomous
Two subspecies are recognized in Tennessee: Northern Ring-necked Snake (D. p. edwardsii) and Mississippi …
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Rough Earthsnake
Virginia striatula
Not stated
This plain-looking snake occurs only in a few counties in the southwestern corner of the state, mostly around …
Rough Greensnake
Opheodrys aestivus
Non-venomous
The Rough Greensnake, also known as the “vine snake,” occurs across the state except for upper northeastern …
Scarletsnake
Cemophora coccinea
Non-venomous
Occurs across most of Tennessee except northwestern section, western Highland Rim, and upper East Tennessee …
Smooth Earthsnake
Virginia valeriae
Non-venomous
Unlike the very similar Rough Earthsnake, this snake has smooth (or weakly keeled) scales and occurs across …
Southeastern Crowned Snake
Tantilla coronata
Not stated
This secretive, black-capped snake occurs across the southern two-thirds of the state plus Stewart County.
Southern Watersnake
Nerodia fasciata
Not stated
One subspecies, Broad-banded Watersnake (N. f. confluens), occurs at Reelfoot Lake and counties that border …
Western Ribbonsnake
Thamnophis proximus
Not stated
One subspecies, Orange-striped Ribbonsnake (T. p. proximus), occurs in Tennessee and it is found in only 4 …
Yellow-bellied Kingsnake
Lampropeltis calligaster
Not stated
Two subspecies are recognized in Tennessee: Prairie Kingsnake (L. c. calligaster), which occurs in the …
A picture cannot confirm what an animal is or that it is safe. Never handle a wild animal. Sources: Reptiles » Snakes (Tennessee Watchable Wildlife species accounts) (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency); Snakes of East Tennessee (poster) (Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Region IV). stateswildlife.com/tennessee/snakes/