CaliforniaHerps.com

California Snakes Range Maps

A Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of California

These maps illustrate the general historic range of established native and non-native snakes found in California.
Red, or another color indicated below the map, shows this distribution. Snakes of the species or subspecies shown are expected to be found within the illustrated area in places where suitable habitat and conditions occur. In some cases, the current range may be fragmented or considerably diminished from the range illustrated here.

Click on the name link for pictures and information about a particular snake.
Click on a map for a topographical view

More Lists and Information About California Snakes

See a More Compact Version of This Page


Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake Northern Rubber Boa Rosy Boa Rosy Boa  snake
Rubber Boa

Rosy Boa Glossy Snake

Red
: Charina bottae - Northern Rubber Boa

Dark Blue: Charina umbratica - Southern Rubber boa

Orange: area where the species of rubber boa
is recognized as potentially C. umbratica by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

Purple: Area representing recently-discovered Rubber
Boas of unexamined species, most likely Charina bottae.


Red
: Lichanura orcutti - Rosy Boa

(Formerly: Lichanura trivirgata roseofusca -  Coastal Rosy Boa
and Lichinura trivirgata gracia - Desert Rosy Boa)

Red
: Arizona elegans eburnata - Desert Glossy Snake

Orange: Arizona elegans occidentalis - California Glossy Snake

Purple: Arizona elegans candida - Mojave Glossy Snake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake Baja Rat Snake   western yellow-bellied racer western yellow-bellied racer
Baja California Ratsnake

Shovel-nosed Snake Western Yellow-bellied Racer

Red Dot
: Bogertophis rosaliae - Baja California Ratsnake

Dark Blue
: Chionactis annulata annulata -
Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake
 

Red: Chionactis occipitalis - Mohave Shovel-nosed Snake


Red
: Coluber constrictor mormon - Western Yellow-bellied Racer
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Red Racer San Joaquin Coachwhip snake snake snake California Striped Racer
Coachwhip

Baja California Coachwhip Striped Racer

Red
: Masticophis flagellum piceus -  Red Racer

Orange: Masticophis flagellum ruddocki - San Joaquin Coachwhip

Dark Blue
: Masticophis fuliginosus - Baja California Coachwhip


Red
Masticophis lateralis lateralis - California Striped Racer

Dark Blue: Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus  - Alameda Striped Racer

     
Range Map Sharp-tailed Snakes Range Map Range Map
Desert Striped Whipsnake Desert Striped Whipsnake snake Forest Sharp-tailed Snake snake snake
Desert Striped Whipsnake

Sharp-tailed Snake Ring-necked Snake

Red
: Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus - Desert Striped Whipsnake


Orange
: Contia longicauda - Forest Sharp-tailed Snake 

RedContia tenuis - Common Sharp-tailed Snake

Dark Blue: Area that might contain both species

Red
:  Diadophis punctatus amabilis -  Pacific Ring-necked Snake

Light Blue: Diadophis punctatus modestus -
 San Bernardino Ring-necked Snake


Orange: Diadophis punctatus occidentalis -
 Northwestern Ring-necked Snake


Purple:  Diadophis punctatus pulchellus-
 Coral-bellied Ring-necked Snake


Black:  Diadophis punctatus regalis  - Regal Ring-necked Snake

Dark Blue: Diadophis punctatus similis -  San Diego Ring-necked Snake

YellowDiadophis punctatus  vandenburgii -  Monterey Ring-necked Snake

Gray: General area of intergradation

     
Range Map Range Map California Mountain Kingsnake Range Map
snake snake snake snake snake snake
NIghtsnakes

California Kingsnake Mountain Kingsnakes

Red
: Hypsiglena chlorophaea deserticola - Desert Nightsnake

Orange: Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha klauberi - San Diego Nightsnake

Purple: Hypsiglena ochrorhyncha nuchalata -  California Nightsnake


Red
: Lampropeltis californiae - California Kingsnake

Red
: Lampropeltis zonata - California Mountain Kingsnake

Orange: Lampropeltis multifasciata - Coast Mountain Kingsnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake snake snake Long-nosed Snake  snake
Leaf-nosed Snake

Gophersnake Long-nosed Snake

Red
: Phyllorhynchus decurtatus - Leaf-nosed Snake

Purple
: Pituophis catenifer affinis - Sonoran Gophersnake

Orange: Pituophis catenifer annectens -San Diego Gophersnake

Red: Pituophis catenifer catenifer - Pacific Gophersnake

Dark Blue: Pituophis catenifer deserticola - Great Basin Gophersnake

Light Green: Pituophis catenifer pumilus -
Santa Cruz Island Gophersnake

Gray: General area of intergradation




Red
: Rheinocheilus lecontei - Long-nosed Snake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake snake snake snake snake Smith's Black-headed Snake
Patch-nosed Snake

Variable Groundsnake Smith's Black-headed Snake

Red
S. h. hexalepis -  Desert Patch-nosed Snake

PurpleS. h. mojavensis - Mohave Patch-nosed Snake

OrangeS. h. virgultea - Coast Patch-nosed Snake

Violet: Old unconfirmed S. h. virgultea sight record


Red
: Sonora semiannulata semiannulata - Variable Groundsnake

Red
: Tantilla hobartsmithi - Smith's Black-headed Snake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake Western Black-headed Snake snake Oregon Gartersnake snake Sierra Gartersnake
Western Black-heaed Snake

Aquatic Gartersnake Sierra Gartersnake

Red
: Tantilla planiceps - Western Black-headed Snake

Red
: Thamnophis atratus atratus -  Santa Cruz Gartersnake

Orange: Thamnophis atratus hydrophilus - Oregon Gartersnake

Light Blue: Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus -
Diablo Range Gartersnake


Gray: T. a. hydrophilus x T. a. atratus x T. a. zaxanthus Intergrades

Dark Blue: T. a. atratus x T. a. zaxanthus intergrades


Red
: Thamnophis couchii - Sierra Gartersnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
Coast Gartersnake Mountain Gartersnake snake Giant Gartersnake snake Two-striped Gartersnake
Terrestrial Gartersnake

Giant Gartersnake Two-striped Gartersnake

Red
: Thamnophis elegans elegans - Mountain Gartersnake

PurpleThamnophis elegans terrestris - Coast Gartersnake

Dark Blue: Thamnophis elegans vagrans - Wandering Gartersnake

Gray: General area of intergradation


Thamnophis gigas -
Giant Gartersnake

Red: Current and historic range

Yellow
: Historic range where no longer present

Red
: Thamnophis hammondii - Two-striped Gartersnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake Northwestern Gartersnake snake California Red-sided Gartersnake snake
Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake

Northwestern Gartersnake Common Gartersnake

Red
: Thamnophis marcianus marcianus -
Marcy's Checkered Gartersnake

Red
: Thamnophis ordinoides - Northwestern Gartersnake

Orange
: Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi - Valley Gartersnake

Red: Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis -
 California Red-sided Gartersnake


Purple: South Coast Gartersnake - Thamnophis ssp

Dark Blue: Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia -
San Francisco Gartersnake

     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake Sonoran Lyresnake snake Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake snake snake
Lyresnake

Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake Sidewinder

Orange
Trimorphodon lambda  - Sonoran Lyresnake

RedTrimorphodon lyrophanes - California Lyresnake

Red
: Crotalus atrox - Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake

Red
Crotalus cerastes cerastes - Mohave Desert Sidewinder

Orange: Crotalus cerastes laterorepens - Colorado Desert Sidewinder

     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake snake southern pacific rattlesnaked great basin rattlesnake snake Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Speckled Rattlesnake & Panamint Rattlesnake

Western Rattlesnake Red Diamond Rattlesnake

Red
Crotalus pyrrhus - Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake

OrangeCrotalus stephensi - Panamint Rattlesnake

Dark Blue
: Crotalus oreganus helleri - Southern Pacific Rattlesnake

OrangeCrotalus oreganus lutosus - Great Basin Rattlesnake

RedCrotalus oreganus oreganus - Northern Pacific Rattlesnake

Gray: Intergrade Range


Red
: Crotalus ruber - Red Diamond Rattlesnake
     
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake Northern Mohave Rattlesnake   Desert Threadsnake snake Yellow-bellied seasnake
Northern Mohave Rattlesnake

Western Threadsnake Yellow-bellied Seasnake

Red
: Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus - Northern Mohave Rattlesnake

Orange
: Rena humilis cahuilae - Desert Threadsnake

Red: Rena humilis humilis - Southwestern Threadsnake


Red
: Hydrophis platurus - Yellow-bellied Seasnake
     

Non-Native Species of Snakes Established in California

   
Range Map Range Map Range Map
snake Brahminy Blindsnake snake Southern Watersnake snake Northern Watersnake
Brahminy Blindsnake

Southern Watersnake Common Watersnake

Red
: Indotyphlops braminus - Brahminy Blindsnake


Red dots
: Nerodia fasciata - Southern Watersnake


Red dots
: Nerodia sipedon - Northern Watersnake
     



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