Characteristics
This commonly seen snake is a solid, shiny black and grows to lengths of 42-72 in. (106.7-183 cm). It may show traces of a spotted pattern when the skin is stretched, as after a meal. The light areas of skin between the scales may be white, yellow, orange, or red. The belly displays a vague checkerboard pattern of gray or brown on white or yellowish. Juveniles have a pattern of black to dark brown blotches on a peppered black and white to gray body and a brown stripe from the front of the eye to the margin of the mouth. Adult black ratsnakes may be confused with adult northern black racer, Coluber constrictor; however, the latter has smooth scales, a round body in cross section, and white only on the chin. Juveniles are sometimes confused with small copperheads but the latter have brown hourglass-shaped crossbands and a yellow tip tail. The black ratsnake emerges from hibernation in April and mates in May or June. The eggs, numbering 5-25, are laid in July, in decomposing logs, mulch or sawdust heaps, or hollow trees. The eggs hatch in late August or September. This snake is often active just after sunset, when it may travel considerable distances.
Distribution
Black ratsnakes are distributed statewide in Virginia below 1350 meters elevation. This is a terrestrial species that also climbs trees. It is found in a variety of habitats, including agricultural areas, most types of hardwood forest, isolated urban woodlots, and forested wetlands. This snake is often found in barns and old buildings where preys on mice and other small rodents.
Foods
The primary prey are rodents, birds, and bird's eggs. Prey are killed by constriction and the eggs are swallowed whole and then broken in the throat.
Characteristics
This is a large, heavy-bodied snake that reaches lengths of 36-48 in. (76-152 cm). The adult has large, square, dark brown blotches on a lighter brown background. One row of squares runs down the back with an alternating row on each side. The belly is yellowish-brown with with dark blotches. The patterns darken and become less distinct with age. The juvenile is similar to the adult but lighter. Mating occurs in the spring and 12-50 live young are born from late August to mid-September. The brown watersnake is generally diurnal, but may be nocturnal in midsummer. It frequently basks on logs and overhanging vegetation during midday in spring and fall and in the morning during summer.
Distribution
This species is found in the Coastal Plain south of the Rappahannock River. The northernmost known population occurs in the Pamunkey River. This species is found in a variety of quiet water including brackish water. It often basks in the crotches of cypress trees growing several hundred feet from the shore near Lake Drummond. This is a common species along many other lakes, canals and rivers in southeastern Virginia.
Foods
The main food of this species is fish, although frogs and other aquatic animals are also taken. They will consume whole bluegill and other sunfishes. The prey are swallowed alive.
Characteristics
This is a large, venomous snake that grows to lengths of 36-60 in. (90-152 cm). The canebrake rattlesnake differs from the timber rattlesnake, C. horridus horridus in that the canebrake is pinkish to light tan with dark-brown to black blotches and chevrons, and it has a marked stripe down the back and a stripe from the eye to the jaw. There are no yellow and black phases in the canebrake. Both rattlesnakes have a triangular head and a pit below each eye. The pupil of the eye is vertical and elliptical. The black tail is tipped with a rattle. Males grow larger than females. Mating occurs shortly after emergence from hibernation in the spring, in mid-May. This snake bears live young in litters of 7-13 during late August and early September. This species is diurnal in the spring and fall, and nocturnal in the summer. It is listed as state endangered.
Distribution
This species inhabits hardwood and mixed hardwood-pine forests, cane fields, and the ridges and glades of swampy areas in localized areas of southeastern Virginia. It overwinters in the base of hollow trees or in stumps.
Foods
The canebrake preys mostly on small mammals, but will occasionally eat frogs and birds.
Characteristics
This species is shiny black with a chainlike pattern of white or yellow. The belly is bluish-gray with white or yellowish squares. It is a large, stout snake that grows to lengths of 36-45 in. (90-114 cm). Juveniles are patterned as adults. The only other black snakes in Virginia are the northern black racer, Coluber constrictor, and the black rat snake, Elaphe obsoleta. Neither of these species has white or yellow crossbars or spotting on the head and belly. Mating takes place in the spring, 10-24 eggs are laid in June/July, and the eggs hatch in August/September. Kingsnakes are noted for vibrating their tails when disturbed and for discharging musk from glands at the base of the tail when picked up. These snakes are immune to poisonous snake venom and will eat venomous snakes when given a chance. They are preyed upon by raccoons, opossums, and skunks.
Distribution
This snake is widespread in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont Regions, but has been found in only 3 counties in the Tennessee River drainage of southwest Virginia. It also occurs in the Potomac River drainage in Northern Virginia. This species is found in a variety of habitats, but seems to prefer moist areas near swamps, marshes, along stream banks and lakes. It is also found on rocky hillsides, pastures, near streams and thickets and often under logs, boards, rotten stumps, or in burrows.
Foods
The black kingsnake eats garter and water snakes, skinks, reptile eggs, rodents, birds and their eggs, frogs, and some insects. Kingsnakes are widely known as predators of other snakes, including venomous species.
Characteristics
This is a large snake that grows to lengths of 36-48 in. (90-122 cm). It is a shiny black snake with series of thin, white to cream crossbars or spots on the back. The belly is covered with alternating black and white patches. Juveniles are patterned like adults. Mating presumably takes place in the spring. Known egg laying dates in Virginia are between 16 and 22 June. Clutch size is 9-17. The kingsnake may discharge musk from glands at the base of the tail and vibrate its tail when disturbed. It may also coil itself into a ball and hide its head in the coil. This species is terrestrial, and is most often found under surface objects, such as boards, logs, tar paper, and car hoods. Kingsnakes are diurnal, but are occasionally found on roads at dusk.
Distribution
This snake is widespread in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont of Virginia. It also occurs in the Potomac River drainage in northern Virginia west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are no records for this species in the New River drainage. It inhabits a variety of different habitats, including hardwood forest, mixed pine-hardwood forest, pine forest, abandoned fields, margins of hardwood swamps and freshwater marshes, and along creeks and streams.
Foods
The following prey have been recorded for Virginia specimens: eastern gartersnake, northern watersnake, ringneck snake, smooth earthsnake, wormsnake, eastern five-lined skink, and white-footed mouse.
Characteristics
This is a fairly large (up to approximately 71 inches total length), shiny, black snake with a white chin and gray belly. The adult northern black racer has a rounded, black to gray body, and smooth scales. There is very little difference in the appearrance of males and females. Juveniles have a dorsal pattern of dark gray to brown body. The venter is cream in color any may be plain or bear an irregular series of black dots. Small black or brown dots often occur laterally on the dorsum. The chin is plain white and the head is mostly brown, interspersed with varying amounts of gray. Confusing species: Adults of this species are often confused with adult ratsnake (Elaphe obsoleta), however, the ratsnake has a breadloaf-shaped body in cross section, keeled scales middorsally, and varying amounts of white on the flat venter. Juvenile ratsnakes have an eye-jaw stripe, a checkerboard pattern on the belly, and usually, irregular blotches with anterior and posterior projections on the corners. Black phase hog-nosed snake(Heterodon platirhinos) are short and stocky compared to the northern black racer and they have a broader head with an unturned snout. There are no real geographic variations in the appearance of the northern racer.
Distribution
The northern black racer is found statewide in Virginia, but patchily distributed west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Except for parts of the American southwest, the species is widely distributed in North America south of Canada into Mexico.
Foods
The northern black racer is a carnivore and has been documented to eat butterfly and moth larvae, frogs, skinks, small birds, chipmunks, northern flying squirrels, mice and many other species. Invertebrates are most often found in juveniles, and rodents and reptiles are primary prey of adults. The northern black racer does not constrict, as the scientific name implies, but pins its prey with body loops and swallows it alive.
Characteristics
This is a small snake that grows to lengths of 9-13 in. (23-33 cm). The body and tail is light brown or gray to dark brown or nearly black with a longitudinal series of small, paired, black spots. The area between the spots is lighter than the rest of the body, forming a tan stripe down the center of the back. Juveniles are uniform dark brown to black dorsally, with a narrow cream to yellow collar on the neck. This snake is viviparous (bears live young). Mating occurs from late March through May with a gestation period of 105-113 days. Virginia females bear litters of 3-26 young. This is a common snake in suburban yards and urban parks, but it is very secretive. It is non-poisonous and does not bite.
Distribution
Vouchered records for this species in Virgnia lie east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, except for one each in Alleghany, Bath, and Washington counties. Northern brownsnakes are terrestrial, secretive, and seldom found in the open. They are nocturnal, but most often found under surface objects such as boards, trash of all sorts, logs and rocks. Their microhabitat may be described as the soil-humus layer. Habitats include hardwood forests, mixed hardwood-pine forests, pine woods, grasslands, early successional stages of abandoned agricultural land, woodlots, and urban areas. Hibernation sites include ant mounds and abandoned rodent burrows.
Foods
This species eats earthworms, slugs, spiders, and (rarely) small amphibians. They also may consume small fish and insects.
Characteristics
This is a heavy-bodied, medium-sized venomous snake that grows to a length of 24-36 in. (61-90 cm). The head is triangular and coppery-red with an hourglass pattern. There are dark, rounded spots on the sides of the belly and the scales are weakly keeled. The upper side of the body and tail are pinkish tan to dark brown, with hourglass-shaped crossbands colored chestnut to dark brown; most dorsal scales are sprinkled with black flecks. Juveniles have the same color patterns as the adults, except that the tip of the tail is a sulfur yellow and juveniles lack the black flecking of the adults. There are regional differences in body color and pattern throughout Virginia. This species mates in April or May and 1-17 young are born from mid-August to early October. The copperhead will often hibernate in the company of other snakes. It is a sluggish snake that relies on camouflage to escape detection. It may vibrate the tail rapidly when alarmed.
Distribution
This snake is found statewide, with the exception of the barrier islands. It occurs at elevations below 910 meters in a wide variety of terrestrial habitats, including wetlands, forests, fields, and edge areas of all types. The copperhead is found in open areas with higher rock densities, and uses all types of structures for cover, including abandoned buildings, brush piles, and stone walls.
Foods
The prey eaten depends on the size of the snake, with juveniles taking more invertebrates and adults eating more small mammals such as rodents. Mice are the primary prey, but they also take lizards, small snakes, amphibians, small birds, and insects.
Characteristics
The adult is gray to bluish black above with a flat black head. The neck ring and ventral color varies from yellowish to reddish. The neck ring may be incomplete. The belly is unmarked or has a row of dark, half-moon-shaped spots along its length. The juvenile has a velvety black dorsum and an even blacker head. Most adults are from 10-15 inches (25.4-38 cm) long. This species lays from 2-10 whitish eggs in rotting logs in June or early July. Several clusters may be laid together in a communal nest. The 3 1/2- to 5- inch young hatch in late summer. This species will twist and raise its tail like a corkscrew when approached by certain predators.
Distribution
This species is found statewide in Virginia with the exception of the lower portion of the Eastern Shore although not all counties are represented by specimens. It inhabits moist wooded areas in both pine and hardwood, where there is an abundance of rotting logs, old stumps, and loose bark to provide hiding places. It is also found in cutover lands, sawdust piles, field edges and even suburban backyards. This is the most common snake in the Shenandoah National Park and the Great Dismal Swamp. The ringneck snake is secretive, inhabiting the leaf litter and upper soil horizon community. It is seldom encountered in the open.
Foods
This species feeds on insects, earthworms, small snakes, small lizards, salamanders and frogs. It usually swallows its prey whole, but may also use partial constriction.
Characteristics
This is a large aquatic snake, measuring 24-42 in. (61-106.7 cm) in length. It has dark crossbands on the neck and foreparts of the body, and alternating dorsal and lateral blotches on the rest of the body. The dark markings are wider than the spaces between them. There are usually black or reddish half-moons on the belly. The adults tend to darken so that the pattern becomes obscure. Half-moons on the belly may be arranged in a regular pattern, scattered at random, represented by dusky areas, or they may be entirely absent. Nerodia sipedon is often confused in Virginia with the venomous cottonmouth or "water moccasin". The cottonmouth has broad crossbands that occur along the entire length of the body, a large, angular head, vertical pupils, and a pit between the eye and nostril. In addition, the cottonmouth lacks the half-moons on the venter and occurs only in southeastern Virginia. The northern watersnake emerges from hibernation in late March or April and mates soon thereafter. The young, up to 70 in number, are born live from late August to early October. This snake will usually bite when handled, and it can inflict a painful wound from its long teeth. It may also vibrate its tail when disturbed.
Distribution
This snake is found below 1500 meters elevation statewide in Virginia, including several of the barrier islands. The northern watersnake is common in a variety of aquatic habitats, including lakes, ponds, rivers, freshwater and tidal creeks, ditches, swamps, freshwater and brackish marshes, and low wet areas.
Foods
This snake is a predator of fish and amphibians, although other prey are sometimes taken. Prey are swallowed alive.
Characteristics
This a large, solid brown, aquatic snake grows to lengths 30-48 in. (76-122 cm) in length. The belly is orange-red. There are no blotches, spots or other markings on the adult. The juvenile has brown blotches down the back with smaller blotches on the sides and an orange-red ground color. This species is the most terrestrial of the Nerodia and will wander hundreds of yards into dry forests during the summer. They usually rest directly on the ground. They are primarily diurnal, although they move overland at night, especially during and after warm rains. This species will bear up to 50 live young. The maximum known age is 8 years.
Distribution
Most populations occur south of the James River, but there are 2 confirmed records for the lower York-James peninsula. It is common in certain areas of the Great Dismal Swamp. This species is found in river swamps choked with semiaquatic vegetation and characterized by bald cypress, red maple, and sweet gum. It may also be found in swamps, ditches, freshwater marshes, and low wet areas in all vegetative habitats. This snake is often seen lying on logs and vegetation in swampy habitats, but can also be found under litter and logs.
Foods
The primary food of this species is frogs and fish, but it will eat crayfish and salamanders.
Characteristics
The adult is grayish to reddish-brown above and cream, pinkish or greenish-white below. The body is moderately stout and the snout is pointed. This snake grows to a maximum length of about 11 inches. Juveniles are darker than adults at birth, and possess a cream to yellow crossband on the back of the black head. Body color and the crossband darken with age, but may not become completely obscure. This species is seldom seen because of their secretive habits. They will come out during heavy summer rains. They have been found hibernating with masses of copperheads, ribbon snakes, lizards, frogs and toads. This snake will not bite upon capture but may emit musk from glands at the base of the tail or even feces. They are known to "play dead," becoming rigid with mouth open and tongue protruding. This species may be preyed on by mole snakes, scarlet snakes, milk snakes, raccoons, opossums, large spiders, certain beetles and toads. Movements occur at night and at dusk, especially in the warm months.
Distribution
Virginia striatula occurs in southeastern Virginia, eastern Mecklenburg County and south of the Rappahannock River. This species is found among decaying logs and rotting stumps in open woodlands, grassy areas, suburban woodlots, and along field edges. It is also found underground in loose soil. It may prefer wetter areas than the smooth earthsnake.
Foods
This species feeds on predominantly on earthworms, but will also eat snails, ant eggs, and soft-bodied insects.
Characteristics
This species is plain light green above and white, cream or yellow underneath, often with a greenish cast. The body is very slender and the head is wider than the neck. The adults average 22-32 in. (56-81 cm) in length. Juveniles are patterned and colored as adults, except that juveniles are a paler green color. The rough greensnake may be confused only with the smooth greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis). The latter is similar in color but is smaller and has smooth scales. The females lay up to a dozen eggs in rotting logs or stumps during June or July. The eggs hatch in late summer. This snake is distinctly arboreal in nature and does most of its activity in trees, low bushes, or tall grass. It is docile and will not bite. It seeks escape from predators by climbing into dense vegetation where it is difficult to see.
Distribution
Opheodrys aestivus occurs statewide in Virginia, except for the New River drainage. It is usually found in areas of thick, green vegetation. Small trees, bushes, briar patches, and tangles of vines are favorite areas. They are exceptionally attracted to lush green vegetation overhanging streams. They are found in gardens and are able to maintain their populations in developed areas as long as adequate greenery is left in backyards and parks. This is the only arboreal snake in Virginia.
Foods
This species eats mainly grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, spiders, small frogs, and snails or slugs.