Washington Snakes: Identification Guide With Pictures

Venom: “Caution: This is a venomous and potentially dangerous snake.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Range: Western rattlesnakes occur east of the Cascade Mountains in the East Cascades, Columbia Basin, Okanogan, and Blue Mountain ecoregions. The furthest west they have been documented is in the Columbia Gorge approximately 1 mile west of Dog Mountain in Skamania County.

Habitat: In Washington, western rattlesnakes primarily occur in shrubsteppe habitats but are also found in Oregon white oak, ponderosa pine and other open forest types. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Venom: “The nightsnake’s fangs are in the back of the mouth (‘rear-fanged’) and the venom is ‘chewed’ into the wound of their prey.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Habitat: Most nightsnake occurrences in Washington are from arid areas that support shrubsteppe vegetation, but occurrences in the Leavenworth area are in ponderosa pine forests. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Venom: “This species superficially resembles the venomous coral snake, but it is harmless.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Range: The Washington range is limited to the southernmost areas of eastern Skamania County and western Klickitat County. The Washington range is isolated from the rest of the species' range by approximately 200 miles.

Habitat: The California mountain kingsnake occurs in moist microhabitats in Oregon white oak-ponderosa pine forest, where individuals are usually found under woody debris and rocks. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Venom: “A bite from one of these nonvenomous snakes may be alarming, but will rarely break the skin.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Range: The common gartersnake has the greatest geographical distribution of any gartersnake, occurring in all Washington Ecoregions. Occurrences are patchy in the central Columbia Basin.

Habitat: In Washington, common garte snakes are almost always found near water. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Habitat: In the Pacific Northwest, the common sharp-tailed snake are found on the edges of coniferous or open hardwood forest. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Venom: “This is a long, slender, striped non-venomous snake.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Range: Striped whipsnakes reach the northern limit of their geographic range in Washington. Evidence indicates the species was never common in Washington and appears limited to the driest areas of the central Columbia Basin.

Habitat: In Washington, striped whipsnakes are shrubsteppe obligates and occur primarily in the driest areas of the central Columbia Basin. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Venom: “Gopher snakes will bite if threatened, but the bite is not venomous.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Range: Gopher snakes occur east of the Cascade Mountains primarily in the Columbia Basin and Okanogan ecoregions. A few occurrences are documented in the East Cascades Ecoregion.

Habitat: In Washington, gopher snakes are primarily a species of dry habitat types such as shrubsteppe, Oregon white oak and ponderosa pine forests. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Range: Northern rubber boas are found in all Washington ecoregions. Few records have been submitted for the coastal forests, higher elevations of the Cascade Mountains or the central Columbia Basin.

Habitat: Northern rubber boas are found in a variety of habitats including prairies, shrubsteppe, grasslands and forests of various types. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Venom: “A bite from one of these nonvenomous snakes may be alarming, but will rarely break the skin.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Range: Northwestern gartersnakes occur primarily west of the Cascades Mountain crest in the Northwest Coast, Puget Trough and West Cascades ecoregions. Occurrences in the East Cascades Ecoregion are from the Cle Elum area in Kittitas County, northwestern Yakima County and western Klickitat County.

Range: The main distribution of this species in Washington follows the east slope of the Cascade Mountains from the Ellensburg area south to the Columbia Gorge and west to Longview. Distribution is likely continuous between the Klickitat and Yakima Counties but there are no records in WDFW’s database to support this.

Habitat: Based on collection and observation records, ring-necked snakes occur in ponderosa pine-Oregon white oak, mixed forest, and shrubsteppe. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Venom: “A bite from one of these nonvenomous snakes may be alarming, but will rarely break the skin.” (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

Habitat: Contrary to their name, terrestrial gartersnakes are almost always found near water in Washington. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)

Habitat: Racers occur in warm, dry, open, or brushy country. (Washington Natural Heritage Program, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, BLM and U.S. Forest Service)