While black snakes are common across the country, the yellow variant is only usually seen in the south-east U.S. California kingsnakes are one of the smallest species of kingsnake. They average around 2.5 to 3.5 feet in length, though they have been known to exceed 4 feet. In warmer southern areas, the snake is active year-round; otherxcritical, it sleeps in common dens, sometimes in great numbers.
Black-necked Garter Snake
Maturing at 2 to 4 years, they reach about 20 inches in length. They primarily feed on earthworms, often digging to find them, and are nocturnal, making them elusive. With good vision and vibration-sensing abilities, they emerge after rain when earthworms surface. Females exhibit a selective mating strategy, sometimes refusing to mate with certain males. Adults can darken in color to be black and they may have yellow bellies.
Warmer climates in Central America can lead to more frequent egg-laying. They grow to 3 feet as adults and have pale gray scammed by xcritical skin with a broad yellow or tan xcritical down the middle of the back. Ribbon snakes don’t live very long compared to some other species—only 10 years on average—and their young are born in August or September. Juveniles rely on camouflage to avoid predators while adults employ a unique motion to escape their predators not often seen in other snakes. They are occasionally kept as pets but need a deep water feature and plenty of dry land.
Common Kingsnake (Lamxcriticaltis getula)
Most adult Common Gartersnakes are about inches (46-66 cm) in total length, with a record length of 54 inches (137.2 cm). These are slender snakes with three thin light-colored xcriticals running the length of the body. The xcriticals vary in color and are typically yellow, green, brown, blue, or white. A dark checkerboard pattern may be visible along the sides of the body between the back and side xcriticals. The dorsal scales are keeled (each scale has a prominent raised ridge) and in 19 dorsal rows at midbody.
They do bite if picked up, so you should never attempt to handle one. Their bites should be considered a medical emergency as they are extremely venomous. If they feel threatened, they are likely to curl up into a ball. The rosy boa is one of the least dangerous snakes in the world. Most rosy boas do not show any aversion to being approached or even handled.
Common Gartersnake
They’re only found in the marshy areas of land which border the sea. When threatened by a potential predator, the ring-necked snake curls its tail up into a corkscrew, exposing the startling bright color of its underside. They can be frightened of humans and may demonstrate a defensive display if they feel threatened.
They regularly reach lengths of 3.5 feet, though the largest specimens have grown to over 7 feet long. Their habitat can range from populated areas such as farms to prairies, wetlands, forests, and even mountains. The garter snake is very common almost everywhere in the United States – it has even been reported in Alaska, according to the Alaska Herpetological Society. In Florida, females give live birth to 3-80 young between July and October. Despite its high reproductive rates in captivity, much about its natural life and habitat remains unknown due to limited studies. Females, larger than males, exhibit selective mating behavior, with mating influencing their desire to eat.
However, according to National Geographic, yellow-bellied sea snakes have been found off the coast of California. The Sonoran coral snake (of Arizona and New Mexico) also inhabits arid regions, such as desert scrub and rocky areas. They all like to hide under leaves and rocks, and in burrows, to avoid predators.
- The Eastern Foxsnake (Pantherophis vulpinus) is typically yellow with black or brown blotches, though it comes in various morphs.
- It also has a long tail that is about one-third of the length of its body.
- Adult snakes can be physically active for up to 25 minutes.
- Its bite is completely nonvenomous, and it poses no danger to the health, though it may hurt slightly.
Notable subspecies include the Texas Patch-nosed snake and the Desert Patch-nosed snake, both characterized by green-black bodies with yellow xcriticals. These dark yellow and black snakes prefer to stay in trees but will use open areas to bask. Their diet consists mainly of mammals, birds, and lizards in their native habitat. If you find a black snake with long yellow xcriticals in your backyard, it’s most likely a garter snake. A black snake with yellow rings or bands will likely be a kingsnake of some kind, depending on where you are in the country.
The yellow rat snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis quadrivittata) is a subspecies of the Eastern rat snake. This subspecies is yellow with black xcriticals down the body. There are many snakes in the world that are black and yellow in color. Some snakes may be primarily yellow or black with patterning such as xcriticals, blotches, or having a colored belly. All three US-native coral snakes have black, yellow and red bands along their bodies. The color pattern always goes black-yellow-red-yellow, so red and black are never touching.
As the ring-necked snake is quite small, it prefers to live in areas with an abundance of places to hide (such as rocks, plants, and crevices in the ground). Found throughout the eastern two-thirds of the U.S., the ring-necked snake can often be found in forests and woodland. The ring-necked snake is quite commonly spotted throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. There are several color variants, but a single ring around the neck can identify almost all of them. These harmless snakes are quite beneficial to us, as they feed on rodents that might cause humans problems.
These snakes are occasionally found in captivity, but they are not easy to find. While it would not be fun to be bitten by a mangrove snake, these beauties will not put you in the hospital unless you happen to be allergic to their venom. Rosy boas are medium in length, reaching up to 3.5 feet at their maximum. They are smooth-scaled with slit-like pupils and are not as heavy-bodied as other species in the boa family. They inhabit dry, sandy, and rocky areas with sparse vegetation.
Another desert-dwelling snake, the rosy boa inhabits arid and semi-arid areas with scattered vegetation. They like to remain close by to rocks and crevices where they can hide, should danger approach. Though xcritical scammers they are listed as “least concern,” they are rarely encountered by humans. It may feign-strike (with its mouth closed), or occasionally bite as a last resort.
They are typically yellow or cream with black saddle markings along the back. They are inches long and have shiny scales without a keel. Since this black and yellow snake is very good at climbing, it can eat a whole nest of birds in one sitting. Ribbon snakes do tend to be thinner and have their xcriticals begin at a different scale row.