State field guide · Data updated October 2026
Snakes in Texas
Quick answer
Texas has about 76 snake species, more than 115 kinds if subspecies are counted, and roughly a dozen of the species are venomous. Texas Parks and Wildlife counts 15 species and subspecies as potentially dangerous to people. They belong to four groups: rattlesnakes, copperheads, the cottonmouth and the Texas coral snake. Most snakes found in Texas yards are harmless.
- Species
- 76
- 115+ incl. subspecies
- Venomous
- ~12
- 15 incl. subspecies
- Groups
- 4
- of venomous snakes
01 — Venomous species first
The venomous snakes of Texas
Texas pit vipers (copperheads, the cottonmouth and rattlesnakes) have a heat-sensing pit between eye and nostril, vertical pupils and a broad head. The Texas coral snake is the only venomous snake in the state without those features. Many of the rattlesnake species live in the Trans-Pecos of far west Texas.
Woodlands of the eastern third of the state, including the Pineywoods.
MISTAKEN FOR young rat snakes, eastern hognose snake, corn snake.
Broad-banded copperheadAgkistrodon laticinctusCentral and west Texas, often along streams, in oak woodland and in leaf litter around homes.
MISTAKEN FOR young Great Plains and western rat snakes.
Northern cottonmouthAgkistrodon piscivorusEastern half of the state in swamps, slow rivers, ponds, streams and coastal marshes.
MISTAKEN FOR diamondback, plain-bellied and broad-banded water snakes. Copperhead vs cottonmouth.
Found in all but the easternmost part of the state; the rattlesnake most Texans meet.
MISTAKEN FOR bullsnake (gopher snake), which has no rattle.
Forests and river bottoms of the eastern third of the state. Also called canebrake rattlesnake.
MISTAKEN FOR other banded snakes in leaf litter.
Grassy plains of the western third of the state, including the Panhandle.
MISTAKEN FOR bullsnake, western diamondback.
Rocky country from central Texas through most of west Texas.
MISTAKEN FOR other rattlesnakes; look for the solid black tail.
Desert flats of extreme west Texas only.
MISTAKEN FOR western diamondback.
Mountains of west Texas; the banded form only at the far western tip of the state.
MISTAKEN FOR gray-banded kingsnake.
A band through the middle of the state; the desert form in the Trans-Pecos, western Panhandle and lower Rio Grande Valley.
MISTAKEN FOR hognose snakes, young rat snakes.
Small and easy to miss in east Texas woods and wetlands; its rattle is faint.
MISTAKEN FOR young copperheads, hognose snakes.
Southeastern half of the state in woodlands, canyons and coastal plains. Shy and seldom seen.
MISTAKEN FOR milksnakes and the Texas scarlet snake, whose red bands touch black, not yellow.
If someone is bitten, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222. If a pet is bitten, take it to a veterinarian right away. This page gives no first-aid or treatment instructions; see our safety disclaimer.
The rhyme “red next to yellow” separates the coral snake from its common US lookalikes, but it is not a reason to handle any brightly banded snake. Leave all of them alone.
02
Snakes recorded in Texas
Species are grouped by how often people report them. Abundance is our editorial estimate from agency field guides and varies by region. Snakes with a full profile on this site have a photo and link; the others are listed by name. Subspecies are grouped under their species.
Common · 22
Pantherophis obsoletus
Often called Texas rat snake. Climbs walls and trees after birds and eggs.
Pantherophis emoryi
Pituophis catenifer
Lampropeltis holbrooki
Agkistrodon laticinctus
Agkistrodon contortrix
Agkistrodon piscivorus
Uncommon · 33
Heterodon platirhinos
Rare or local · 13
Lampropeltis alterna
East Texas longleaf pine; federally listed.
South Texas brushland; state threatened.
South Texas coast.
Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Lower Rio Grande Valley; mildly venomous saliva, not considered dangerous.
Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Trans-Pecos rock country.
Found only in the upper Brazos River system.
Tiny, worm-like; spread with potted plants.
03
Identify by color
Color is the first thing most people notice, but it varies with age, region and mood. Use these groups to narrow the list, then check the head, pupils and pattern on the species profile.
Western rat snakes in east Texas, the speckled kingsnake (black with yellow dots), older cottonmouths and the eastern racer.
Copperheads, rattlesnakes, rat snakes, the bullsnake, hognose snakes and water snakes. The largest group, and the one with most lookalikes.
The gray-banded kingsnake of the Trans-Pecos; milksnakes and the coral snake also show red bands.
Almost certainly the rough green snake: slender, harmless and often in shrubs near water.
Garter and ribbon snakes, the lined snake, patch-nosed snakes and whipsnakes. None of the Texas venomous snakes are striped.
Texas coral snake if red touches yellow; milksnakes and scarlet snakes if red touches black. Leave all of them alone.
04
By region
Texas covers deserts, plains, prairie, hill country, pine forest and coast, and each region has its own mix of snakes.
Pineywoods, Big Thicket and the upper Gulf Coast. Eastern copperheads, cottonmouths, timber and pygmy rattlesnakes, and many water snakes. Home to the rare Louisiana pine snake.
Cross Timbers and Blackland Prairie. Broad-banded copperheads in creek woods and yards, western rat snakes, rough earth snakes and diamondback water snakes.
Edwards Plateau and Hill Country. Broad-banded copperheads, western diamondbacks, black-tailed rattlesnakes in rocky country, and Texas coral snakes in leaf litter.
Corpus Christi to Brownsville and McAllen. Brushland snakes found nowhere else in the US, such as the speckled racer and cat-eyed snake, plus the threatened Texas indigo snake.
Chihuahuan Desert and mountains including Big Bend. Mojave, black-tailed and rock rattlesnakes, gray-banded kingsnakes and Trans-Pecos rat snakes.
Amarillo, Lubbock and the High Plains. Prairie rattlesnakes, western diamondbacks, bullsnakes, plains hognose snakes and the desert massasauga.
05
Geography & climate
Texas runs from humid pine forest in the east to desert in the far west, with prairie, plains and limestone hill country between. Rainfall drops sharply from east to west, which is why water snakes and cottonmouths are eastern and many rattlesnakes are western.
Snakes in Texas usually emerge from winter dens in late February or early March as temperatures rise. In summer they shift to dusk and night activity. In the mild south, warm winter days can bring snakes out in any month. When are snakes active in Texas? Month by month →
06
Prey & predators
Texas snakes eat rodents, frogs, fish, lizards such as the Texas horned lizard, eggs, insects and other snakes. Rat snakes and bullsnakes help control rodents around farms and homes. Kingsnakes eat other snakes, including copperheads and rattlesnakes, and are reported to resist pit viper venom.
Snakes are eaten by hawks, owls, roadrunners, coyotes, raccoons, feral cats, the American alligator in east Texas wetlands, and the Virginia opossum.
07
Invasive species
Texas has far fewer established nonnative reptiles than Florida. The U.S. Geological Survey lists the green iguana as established in Texas, mainly in the warm far south. The tiny Brahminy blind snake, spread around the world in potted plants, also turns up in Texas gardens; it is harmless.
Keep reading
Sources
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Snakes alive (Texas Junior Naturalists)
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Venomous snake safety
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department — Hunter education: venomous snakes
- Texas A&M AgriLife Today — Snakes emerging from brumation
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension — Snakes (wildlife damage management fact sheet)
- National Park Service — Big Bend National Park snakes
- U.S. Geological Survey — Are there invasive reptiles other than Burmese pythons?
Data updated October 2026 · How we build these pages · Data sources