North Carolina Snakes

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North Carolina Snakes

• By
• David Mooring
• The Crodile Hunter

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Poisonous Identification

• Pit vipers have pits between each eye and nostril
• Pit vipers have catlike eyes with long and narrow
  pupils
• Their heads are triangular
• The Coral Snake has a black head

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Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake

• North Americas largest venomous snake
• Feeds on rabbits, squirrels, rats, and birds
• Has Rattles
• Has Mask across eyes
• Can be 8 feet long, but usually 5 feet
• Found in Pine flatwoods and brushy fields

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Pygmy Rattlesnake

• Small and fat snake
• Found near flatwoods, wiregrass, and along
  marshes
• Feed on frogs, lizards, Mice, and small snakes
• Small rattles sound more like a Buzz

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Canebrake Rattlesnake

• Also called Timber Rattler
• Feeds on Rodents and other small animals
• Feed in day and night (Mostly night in hot summer
  months)
• Found all over NC and water
• Hides under stumps and woody cover

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Copperhead

• Also called White Oak or Red Oak Snake
• Very Aggressive
• Feeds on Cicadas, Caterpillars, frogs, mice,
  lizards, and birds
• Lives in woody areas near rocks, ponds, streams
• Active at night during hot summer
• Warm surfaces in cool months
• Hourglass shape across back

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Water Moccassin

• Also Called Cottonmouth
• Found on or near water
• Feeds at night on fish, amphibians, birds and
  reptiles
• Stripe on side of head
• Bite more toxic than Copperhead

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Coral Snake

• Spends most of his life under sandy soils
• Found in sandhills woods and wiregrass
• Feeds on small reptiles and own species
• Not Pit Vipers, related to Cobras Sea Snakes
• Not aggressive, must chew to bite
• Black Head
• Red and yellow kills the fellow

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Hognose Snake

• Also called Puff Adder, bluffs with puffed head
  and neck
• Thrashes tail, hisses, and rolls over and plays
  dead
• Feeds on toads, insects, frogs, and mice
• Has upturned point on snout
• Individuals have varying colors

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Red Belly Water Snake

• Color varies from reddish brown to pinkish gray
• Prefers wet, but will travel on rainy days
• Feeds on frogs, toads, and fish
• They will bite and discharge a fowl smelling musk
• Their belly is reddish orange

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Eastern Milk Snake

• Feeds on Mice, Snakes, and Lizards

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Northern Black Racer

• White patch under skin and throat
• Lives in brushy areas and under boards and tin
  around old buildings
• Feed on insects, eggs, mice, frogs, and lizards
• Will coil and rattle (bluff) tail when cornered
  or hurt

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Corn Snake

• Black and White Checkered Bellies
• Easily kept in captivity, good pets
• Feeds small rats, frogs, and lizards
• Red, gray, orange or black patches
• Generally an orange colored snake

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Rat Snake

• Called Chicken Snake
• Feeds on rats, mice, birds, reptiles, and chicken
  eggs
• Greenish yellow with four brown or black stripes
  down its side (black with spotted gray and white
  belly

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Juvenile Black Rat
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Gray Rat
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Black Rat
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Coachwhip

• When picked up it will bite repeatedly. It will
  run when it sees people.
• Feeds on mice, eggs, birds, snakes, lizards
• Moves quickly on grassy dunes, wiregrass, pine
  sandhills, and maritime forests

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Eastern Garter

• Variety of colors and patterns (blue, brown,
  green or red with black or brown spots and/or
  stripes
• They like moist areas
• Feeds on frogs, worms, salamanders, small fish
  and toads
• Exacting moisture environmental requirements

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Stripped Garter
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Southern Green Snake

• 14-26 inches long, thin like a pencil
• Green in color
• Likes grassy areas, trees, and shrubs
• Eat insects and spiders

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Smooth Green Snake
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Rough Green Snake
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Scarlet Snake

• Red blotches surrounded by black on back (similar
  to Scarlet King Snake, Corn, and Coral)
• Does not have a black head like Coral Snake
• Blotches surrounded by belly color
• Feeds on insects, lizards, small snakes, reptile
  eggs, and mice

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Eastern King Snake

• Un-aggressive and secretive daytime snake
• Found around sawdust plies, old buildings, grass,
  and under shrubs
• Feeds on snakes including copperheads, eggs,
  mice, and lizards
• Venom immunity

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Ringneck Snake

• Black or slate gray snake with ring around neck
  same color as belly (yellow to orange belly)
• Found under flat rocks, logs, or loose bark of
  dead trees
• Feeds on worms, slugs, salamanders, lizards, and
  newborn snakes.
• They coil into a ball

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