Snake Population by State 2025
State | # of Snake Species↓ | Additional Details | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Texas | 68 | Texas has a huge, diverse snake population that includes 68 different species—and which may swell to more than 100 if one includes sub-species. The vast majority of snakes in Texas are harmless and include the Texas indigo and eastern hognose snakes. The state’s most venomous species is the Texas coral snake. |
 | Mississippi | 55 | Mississippi’s warm waters are home to many species, including several venomous ones like the copperhead, eastern coral, and rattlesnake. Despite this, the majority of MIssissippi's snake species are harmless and include the common garter, eastern milk, and black racer. |
 | Arizona | 52 | 13 are rattlesnake species. More than 1/3 of the world’s rattlesnake species are believed to live in Arizona. |
 | Nevada | 52 | Snake species found in Nevada include venomous rattlers, cottonmouths, and copperheads, as well as many non-venomous species like the beautiful Arizona Mountain and the California Lyre. The coachwhip, desert glossy, and desert night snake are among Nevada's native species. |
 | Louisiana | 48 | Louisiana’s swamps and bayous provide ideal hunting and hiding grounds for its 48 species of snake. The state has the wet, warm weather they thrive in. You are most likely to see the ring-necked, scarlet king, pine, and Mississippi green water species. |
 | Missouri | 47 | The U.S. has more than 50 snake species, and 47 of them live in Missouri. Here, you’ll find eastern yellow-bellied racers, northern scarlets, prairie ringnecks, and western worms. There are several subspecies of the hognose including the plains and eastern versions. You’ll also find a few venomous species like the western cottonmouth and the massasauga. |
 | Florida | 46 | Florida has more species of snake than any other state on the east coast. Its native snakes include the Florida brown snake and the ring-necked snake. |
 | Georgia | 46 | Snakes inhabit the whole of Georgia. Species include brown water, queen, common garter, and ring-necked snakes. |
 | New Mexico | 46 | New Mexico has eight venomous snakes and a large number of non-venomous ones. Its unique native species include the Sonoran coral, New Mexico blind, Chihuahuan night, and plains black-headed snakes. |
 | Oklahoma | 46 | Oklahoma is another state with a high number of snake species, seven of which are venomous. |
 | Alabama | 43 | Alabama has 43 species of snake, including six venomous species: the copperhead, cottonmouth, eastern diamondback rattlesnake, timber rattlesnake, pigmy/pygmy rattlesnake, and eastern coral snake. |
 | Arkansas | 39 | Only six of the 39 species of snake living in Arkansas are venomous. The most common native snakes are the eastern hognose and the black rat. |
 | Kansas | 38 | They are mostly harmless ring-necked, hognose, rat, and garter varieties. |
 | South Carolina | 38 | Black racers, rough greens, non-venomous water snakes, and eastern diamondback rattlers are just a few of the many snake species presnt in South Carolina. |
 | North Carolina | 37 | Gentle green, colorful milk species, racers, and corn snakes are among the state’s most common species. North Carolina has venomous species of snake, including the pygmy rattler and eastern diamondback. |
 | Kentucky | 34 | Kirtland’s, ribbon, northern water, and pine are all species that call Kentucky home. |
 | California | 33 | Many species are endemic to the state. It has six venomous snakes. One native, the saw-scaled viper, may be responsible for more deaths than all other snake species combined. |
 | Indiana | 32 | They include the eastern hog-nosed, gray rat, and common garter. It is also home to two rattlesnake species. |
 | Tennessee | 32 | Red corn, gray rat, and red-bellied mud snakes are among Tennessee’s native snake species. |
 | Colorado | 30 | Only three of Colorado's 30 species of snake are venomous, and all three are rattlesnakes. |
 | Nebraska | 30 | The eastern glossy, speckled king, smooth green, western fox, Graham’s crayfish, and coachwhip are just a few of the snake species found in Nebraska. Four venomous species of snake live in Nebraska, including a copperhead and three pit viper species. |
 | Illinois | 29 | Snake species inhabiting Illinois include the eastern hog-nosed, gray rat, and common garter snakes. Illinois is also home to two rattlesnake species. |
 | Ohio | 28 | Most of Ohio's snakes are common and harmless, including the queen and smooth earth. |
 | Iowa | 27 | Iowa's many snake species include the diamondback water, western ribbon, common garter, and North American racer snake. |
 | New Jersey | 23 | The Garden State of New Jersey has 23 species. They include the northern copperhead, eastern worm, and eastern hognose. New Jersey only has two venomous species. |
 | West Virginia | 23 | West Virginia has many species of snake, which range in size from 6 inches to more than 6 feet, and only two species are venomous. State wildlife officials have pointed out that bees, cows, and horses have caused 15 times as many deaths as snakes in the state. |
 | Pennsylvania | 21 | Pennsylvania’s woodlands are home to many species of snake, but it’s rare to encounter them. The state is also home to three species of water snake. |
 | Wisconsin | 21 | Wisonsin is home to 21 species of snake, 14 of which are classified as rare, threatened, or endangered. These include the western ribbon, North American blue racer, gray rat, and Butler’s garter snake. |
 | Delaware | 19 | All 19 of Delaware's snake species live in the region known as Delmarva, which borders the shores of Maryland and Virginia. These snakes are mostly milk and king varieties. |
 | Michigan | 18 | Eastern garter, Butler’s garter, northern ribbon, and western fox snakes are some of the species that call this Great Lakes state home. The state’s 18 species include only one, the eastern massasauga, which is venomous. |
 | Minnesota | 17 | Most of the native snake species in Minnesota are harmless garden visitors. Among these are the plains hognose, northern water, gopher, garter, and smooth green snakes. The state’s only two venomous species—the eastern massasauga and the timber rattler—are mostly found in the densely forested southeastern part of the state. |
 | New York | 17 | The garter, milk, and water snakes are the types you’re most likely to see in most parts of the state. New York's poisonous species mostly live in the less populated areas and nature reserves. |
 | South Dakota | 17 | South Dakota is home to many reptile species, including 17 different snake species. However, only one species of venomous snake, the prairie rattlesnake, lives in South Dakota. |
 | Utah | 17 | Utah is home to several rattlesnake species as well as several non-venomous species of snake. |
 | Maryland | 15 | With mountains and coastline, Maryland has a good number of native species. They include common water, plain-bellied water, queen, and smooth earth. One of the state’s most attractive snakes is the small, reddish-brown mountain earth snake. |
 | Oregon | 15 | Oregon is home to the rubber boa, sharptail, and California mountain king snakes. |
 | Connecticut | 14 | Only two of the 14 species of snake in Connecticut are venomous. Connecticut's common species include the eastern milk snake and the northern redbelly. |
 | Massachusetts | 14 | Massachusetts' snake species are mostly non-venomous. The largest is the black rat snake, which can grow more than 8 feet long. It is both harmless and listed as endangered in the state. DeKay’s brown is a shy snake that occasionally visits gardens to eat slugs. |
 | Virginia | 14 | Virginia is home to harmless northern pine, red-bellied, and garter snakes, as well as venomous copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes. |
 | Wyoming | 13 | Wyoming has 10 non-venomous species of snake, which include milk and smooth green snakes. |
 | Idaho | 12 | The Gem State is home to 12 species of snake, including the commonly seen garter, gopher, and North American racer snakes. |
 | Rhode Island | 12 | There are no venomous species of snake in Rhode Island, so any snake a person encounters is likely to be harmless. |
 | Washington | 12 | Washington's many harmless snakes include the western terrestrial garter, gopher, black racer, and striped whipsnake. As in many states, wildlife officials have spent time educating people about the many ways snakes help the environment. |
 | New Hampshire | 11 | New Hampshire has 11 species of snake, of which five are listed as species in greatest need of conservation. They are the timber rattler, eastern hognose, northern black racer, smooth green, and ribbon snakes. Killing snakes is illegal in New Hampshire. |
 | Vermont | 11 | The largely rural state of Vermont is home to several species of snake. The timber rattlesnake, the state’s only venomous species, is considered critically endangered in the state. |
 | Montana | 10 | The chances of encountering a deadly snake in Montana are low. The state has only one venomous species: the prairie rattlesnake, which is typically seen in the open countryside, but which occasionally visits forests. All other species of snake that live in Montana are harmless. |
 | Maine | 9 | The state has no venomous species. It is home to eastern ribbons, western ribbons, eastern garters, and common garters. |
 | North Dakota | 8 | North Dakota's snake species include one venomous species, which is the prairie rattlesnake. |
 | Hawaii | 2 | Hawaii has no native snakes, and the state has gone to great lengths to prevent the introduction of non-native species that could destroy its environment. The only snake living on land in Hawaii is the Brahminy blind snake, the smallest snake on earth, which is 6 inches long and pink in color. Fortunately, this tiny invader poses no threat to Hawaii’s ecology or humans. Hawaii’s other snake is the yellow-bellied sea snake, which lives in the ocean surrounding the Hawaiian islands. |
 | Alaska | 0 |
- Precise counts of snake populations do not exist for many states and countries for two primary reasons:
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- Most snake species are not considered endangered, so their populations are unmonitored.
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- Snakes are notably difficult to detect and count.
Alaska
Alaska is one of the two states that do not have any snakes. Snakes thrive in environments that are rocky and hilly and have some soil and heat. Alaska is devoid of places that are conducive for any snake species to survive. Although some states do not have native species of snake, they have been introduced into very small, contained environments. The state of Alaska does not have any area that will effectively grow any snakes. Even if a conservatory were to be opened in the state for some habitat or endangered species to be rehabilitated, it would cost the state too much to transform the location into a snake sanctuary. Even so, the species may not survive due to a lack of prey in the habitat.
This does not mean that Alaska is too cold for any life. Alaska contains some of the most impressive species of wildlife, plant life, and geographic marvels in the nation. For example, some of the fish and large mammals in the state are extremely large and make for great game and breeding purposes. The tough winter climate and lack of vegetation have made species hardier in order to endure extremely difficult conditions.
Hawaii
Hawaii is the second state that does not have snakes native to the environment, but there have been very few species introduced into the environment to enrich the biodiversity in the area. Most of the time, isolated land masses or those with extreme temperatures are not appropriate for snake species to survive. This does not mean that all island nations or states are devoid of any snake species, as many regions in the Pacific have an abundance of different species, including those that are venomous.
It is hard to appropriately describe exactly what a state with “no” snakes means. For example, Alaska is the only state that can truly be considered one without any snake species on its soils that are recorded. Up until very recently, this also included Hawaii - which is still number two on many lists. Another metric that can be used is whether there are any states with native snake species. If this is to be used, Maine could also be considered a state with “no” snakes, as there aren’t any species that are native there. With this being said, snake species often migrate or cohabit in certain areas, or are introduced by humans to enrich diversity or to preserve endangered species.
Texas
Texas, largely due to its climate and land mass, contains some of the most diverse ecosystems of serpents in America, and even the world. Of course, there are certain species of snake that prefer woodland areas, or even the large dense tropical jungles, but iconic species such as the rattlesnake have their home in Texas and many states that border it. There are over 65 species that are native and non-native to the area, as ecologists and zoologists often introduce other serpents to further diversify the gene pool or to save species altogether.
