39 Species of Snakes Found in Indiana, Animal Sake

Indiana's mix of forests, wetlands, and open meadows makes great habitat for snakes. Thirty-nine species call the state home. The good news? Only 4 of those are venomous, and all 4 are pit vipers with telltale features that make them easier to identify.

Snakes in Indiana

There are roughly 39 taxa of snakes that are native to Indiana. While some prefer wooded areas, others occupy wetlands or marshes. So how many of the 39 are venomous? Only 4. They are:

Timber Rattlesnake
Eastern Massasauga
Northern Copperhead
Western Cottonmouth

These venomous snakes are all pit vipers. You can often recognize them by the following characteristics. Not every feature will be present on every snake, but together they can really help:

Heat-sensing pits (behind the nostril)
Wider heads and narrower necks
Heavy bodies, they look stout and fat
Spade-shaped head
Elliptical pupils

Diagram of four key pit viper identification features: heat pit, triangular head, heavy body, and elliptical pupil — Four features that point to a pit viper: the heat-sensing facial pit, the wide triangular head, the heavy body, and the slit-like elliptical pupil.

Now for the non-venomous and mildly venomous snakes. Nine snakes are completely non-venomous (all are ratsnakes) and pose no real threat to humans. Another 26 have rear fangs, which can cause mild effects but rarely cause serious harm. This article lists all the snakes found in Indiana.

List of Nonvenomous Snakes in Indiana

The snakes below all appear frequently in Indiana's woodlands, backyards, and waterways. None of them are dangerous. Several are actually common nonvenomous snakes found across eastern North America.

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

Eastern hognose snake resting in dried leaves — The Eastern Hognose Snake in dried leaves. Its upturned snout is its most distinctive feature.

The Eastern Hognose is also called the "puff(ing) adder," but it is a harmless snake. Do not confuse it with the real puff adder, which is a highly venomous viper. That is a totally different species found in Africa. The Hognose gets its nickname by flattening and spreading its neck to look more threatening, pure bluff.

Black Kingsnake (Lampropeltis nigra)

Black kingsnake coiled in leaf litter — The Black Kingsnake, a natural predator of other snakes, including venomous ones.

Red Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila)

Red milk snake head shot showing bright red banding — The Red Milk Snake's bright red bands look dramatic, but it is completely harmless.

Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

Eastern milk snake resting on a rock — Eastern Milk Snakes are sometimes mistaken for copperheads because of their blotched pattern, but they are not venomous.

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)

Northern water snake close-up near water — The Northern Water Snake is often confused with the venomous cottonmouth, but it lacks the pit viper's triangular head and heat pits.

Northern Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus aestivus)

Northern rough green snake showing its vivid green coloring — The Northern Rough Green Snake is slender, vivid green, and completely harmless, it eats insects and spiders.

Western Smooth Green Snake (Opheodrys vernalis blanchardi)

Western smooth green snake on a branch — The Western Smooth Green Snake is even slimmer than the Rough Green Snake, a gentle species that rarely bites even when handled.

Black Rat Snake (Pantherophis obsoletus)

Black rat snake with raised hood on a forest floor — The Black Rat Snake is one of Indiana's longest snakes, an excellent climber and rodent hunter.

Gray Rat Snake (Pantherophis spiloides)

Gray rat snake resting on a green leaf — The Gray Rat Snake has a blotchy gray pattern. Like its cousin the Black Rat Snake, it is a valued pest controller.

Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)

Bullsnake coiled defensively on a glass surface — The Bullsnake is large, loud, and dramatic, it hisses, vibrates its tail, and flattens its head to scare off threats. Still harmless to humans.

Northern Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi dekayi)

Northern brown snake resting on tree bark — The tiny Northern Brown Snake is often found in city gardens and parks, a helpful predator of slugs and earthworms.

Midland Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi wrightorum)

Midland brown snake looking up at the camera — The Midland Brown Snake is a close relative of the Northern Brown Snake, equally small and harmless.

Butler's Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri)

Butler's garter snake on the ground — Butler's Garter Snake is smaller than the common garter snake and prefers wet prairies and marshes.

Western Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus proximus)

Western ribbon snake coiled on rocks near water — The Western Ribbon Snake is sleek, striped, and fast, rarely straying far from water.

Southern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor priapus)

Southern black racer snake moving through green grass — The Southern Black Racer is exactly what its name suggests, jet black and very fast. It hunts by sight and chases down prey.

Test Your Indiana Snake Knowledge!

5 quick questions about Indiana's snakes, can you get them all right?

Beyond the species shown above with their own photographs, Indiana's nonvenomous snake list also includes:

Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)
Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus sauritus)
Southeastern Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata)
Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)
Midland Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon pleuralis)
Copperbelly Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta)
Western Mud Snake (Farancia abacura reinwardtii)
Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxii)
Northern Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea copei)
Chicago Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis semifasciatus)
Midwestern Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus helenae)
Kirtland's Snake (Clonophis kirtlandii)
Northern Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)
Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster calligaster)
Northern Diamondback Water Snake (Nerodia rhombifer rhombifer)
Western Fox Snake (Pantherophis ramspotti)
Northern Redbelly Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)
Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)
Northern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis semifasciatus)
Western Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae elegans)

List of Venomous Snakes in Indiana

Indiana's 4 venomous snakes are all pit vipers. If you encounter any of these, keep your distance and give them space. They only bite when threatened. Learn more about how to identify venomous snakes before heading into Indiana's wilder areas.

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Timber rattlesnake coiled on a limestone outcrop showing banded pattern and rattle — The Timber Rattlesnake is Indiana's largest venomous snake. Its rattle is an unmistakable warning signal.

Timber rattlesnake coiled among pine needles — A second look at the Timber Rattlesnake's striking banded pattern amid forest debris.

Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen)

Northern copperhead snake on leaf litter showing its copper-colored head and hourglass crossband pattern — The Northern Copperhead's distinctive hourglass crossband pattern camouflages it perfectly on the forest floor.

Northern copperhead head closeup showing copper-red coloring — The copper-colored head gives this pit viper its name. Those elliptical pupils are a key identifier.

Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus)

Eastern massasauga rattlesnake showing its spotted brown pattern — The Eastern Massasauga is the smaller of Indiana's two rattlesnakes. It prefers wet prairies and marshes and is a threatened species in the state.

Western Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus leucostoma)

The Western Cottonmouth (also called the water moccasin) is Indiana's only semi-aquatic venomous snake. It gets its name from the bright white interior of its mouth, which it displays as a threat warning. It is found in the southern tip of Indiana near the Wabash River floodplains.

Term	Meaning	Example
Pit viper	A venomous snake with heat-sensing pits on its face, used to detect warm-blooded prey	Timber Rattlesnake, Copperhead
Taxa	A group of organisms recognized as a distinct unit, can mean species or subspecies	"39 taxa" includes both species and subspecies
Elliptical pupil	A vertically slit pupil (like a cat's) found in most venomous pit vipers; round pupils are typical of harmless snakes	Copperhead's pupils vs. garter snake's pupils
Rear-fanged	Having venom-delivering fangs at the back of the mouth rather than the front; generally causes only mild effects in humans	Most of Indiana's 26 "mildly venomous" species
Ratsnake	A non-venomous snake that primarily hunts rodents; an important part of the ecosystem for pest control	Black Rat Snake, Gray Rat Snake, Bullsnake
Subspecies	A population within a species that has its own distinct characteristics but can still interbreed with other subspecies	Northern Copperhead (A. c. mokasen) is one subspecies of the Copperhead

39 Species of Snakes That are Found in Indiana

Snakes in Indiana

List of Nonvenomous Snakes in Indiana