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Pantherophis alleghaniensis - Eastern Ratsnake
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Identification
The adult Eastern Ratsnake is black, but usually shows remnants of its juvenile pattern. It is a black and white checkerboard on the front half, and then turns to a solid dark tone towards the tail. |
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Pantherophis emoryi - Great Plains Ratsnake
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Description
This uncommon, medium-sized snake is grayish-brown with a series of large, alternating, chocolate-brown blotches. These blotches are often bordered in black. It has a spearhead marking on the head. |
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Pantherophis spiloides - Gray Ratsnake
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DESCRIPTION:
The gray rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta spiloides), currently known as the Central ratsnake (Pantherophis spiloides), is a member of the genus Elaphe in the subfamily Colubrinae. |
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PLAINS BLACK-HEADED SNAKE
Tantilla nigriceps
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DESCRIPTION:
A small (up to 380 mm or 15" in total length), slender tan or cream colored snake with a dark gray-brown or black head cap. The head cap tapers to a point on its rear edge and extends back more than 3 small scales behind the parietal furrow (central seam between rear-most large head scales). |
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RIDGE-NOSED RATTLESNAKE
Crotalus willardi
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DESCRIPTION:
A small (up to 668 mm or 26" in total length excluding rattle) rattlesnake. A ridge of upturned scales lining the top edge of the snout between the nostrils gives this snake its common name. |
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RING-NECKED SNAKE
Diadophis punctatus
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DESCRIPTION:
A small to medium (up to 857 mm or 34" in total length), blue-gray to pale gray snake that usually has a cream, yellow, or orange ring on the neck. Some specimens, particularly in western and northwestern Arizona, lack the neck ring. |
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ROCK RATTLESNAKE
Crotalus lepidus
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DESCRIPTION:
A small (up to 840 mm or 33" in total length excluding rattle) light greenish-gray to blue-gray rattlesnake with 14 to 24 dark gray-brown to black, jagged crossbands on the back. Arizona specimens often have dark spots or flecks between the dark bands. |
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SONORAN CORALSNAKE
Micruroides euryxanthus
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DESCRIPTION:
A small (up to 615 mm or 24" in total length), slender, brightly-colored snake with red, yellow or cream, and black rings that completely encircle the body. |
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SONORAN LYRESNAKE
Trimorphodon lambda
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DESCRIPTION:
A medium sized (up to 1,026 mm or 40" in total length) light gray-brown to gray snake with a prominent dark brown lyre-shaped marking on the top of the head and a dark bar crossing the top of the head between the eyes. There are fewer than 30 (an average of 24) dark, orange-brown, jagged-edged blotches on the back. |
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SONORAN SHOVEL-NOSED SNAKE
Chionactis palarostris
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DESCRIPTION:
A small (up to 430 mm or 17" in total length) snake with 20 or fewer black bands on a cream to light yellow background. Only the anterior-most 1 to 5 black bands do not cross the belly. Between the black bands are soft-edged, red saddles. |
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