Michigan Herps

Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis) 

 Identification: The Eastern Garter Snake is a small to medium sized snake that can be identified by three bright lines that run laterally down its body. As seen in the picture at left, this species commonly has a checkerboard patterm between it's stripes. Although, this snake's coloration is highly variable. Individuals may be brown, black, or even an olive tint of green.This snake is the most common snake in Michigan. Adult length is 2-4 feet.

Habitat: This species can be found in a large variety of habitat. Fields, marshes, woodlands, and even backyards.

Diet: Frogs, Toads, Earthworms, Fish, & Small Rodents.

Garters are extremely adaptive snakes, and that factors into why they are found virtually anywhere.

Butler's Garter Snake  (Thamnophis butleri)

Identification: The Butler's Garter Snake is a small snake that can be identified by three striped that run laterally down its body. Its head is very dark and small, which differs from the more common Eastern Garter. It may have a brownish hue inbetween its lateral striping as well. Adult length is 1-2 feet.

Habitat: This species prefers marshes and lake edges, but can also be found in drier upland habitats like woodlands and old fields. They usually can be found under debris around these areas.

Diet: Earthworms & insects.

Butler's Garters are considerably less common than their close relatives but can be found side by side with Easterns. In the early spring months these snakes can be scene in mating balls which include 3-5 males to one large female.

Northern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis)

Identification: The Eastern Ribbon Snake is a small to medium sized snake that looks quite similar to the two Garter species, except for the fact that it has a distinguishable white chin. The snake is also long and skinny, with a whip like tail that differs from the Garter Snake. Adult length is 2-3 feet.

Habitat: Ribbons spend their time around or near water. The edges of marshes, streams, lakes and ponds are common habitat.

Diet: Tadpoles, Frogs, Salamanders, & small fish.

Ribbon Snakes are sometimes to be considered the most attractive garter snake species found in Michigan, as well as one of the most common. These snakes can be extremely numerous in areas where lots of suitable wetland habitat like marshes exist. During the day, they can be seen racing through the woods or marsh edges in search of food.

Northern Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi dekayi)

Identification: The Dekay's Brown Snake is small snake that is a brown to gray in color and has a cream colored stripe that runs down the middle of its back. It also may have spots or crossbars across its back. Adult length is 10-15 inches.

Habitat: Browns inhabit fields, woodlands, and the edges of marshes. They spend most of their time under cover, such as under or in rotting logs, or under debris.

Diet: Browns eat slugs & earthworms.

Found throughout the Lower Peninsula and the southern tip of the Upper Peninsula, brown snakes can be common even in farming and residential areas. Browns spend most of their time under cover such as logs, boards, and trash in search of food or to escape the blistering heat of the summer days.

Northern Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)

Identification: The Red-bellied snake is a small snake that is gray or brown in color, and is charachterized by a red, orange or pink belly. Adult size is 10-15 inches.

Habitat: Woodlands and field, but just like their close relative the Brown Snake, they spend their time under debris such as logs, boards, and trashpiles.

Diet: Earthworms, slugs, & snails.

Red-bellied Snakes are considered to be a fossorial species because they spend much of their time out of sight hiding under cover like logs, rocks, and debris. Red-bellies are considered common statewide, but can be locally abundant or absent. This species is extremely docile and is completely unlikely to bite.

Northern Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii)

Identification: The Ringneck is a small black or blue-gray snake with a white or yellow or ring around its neck. The belly can be yellow or orange with small black dots. Adult length is 1-2 feet.

Habitat: Ringnecks inhabit moist and damp woodlands where they spend most of their time out of site. They can be found in and around rottong logs, under leaft litter, or under trash piles.

Diet: Earthworms, salamanders, and smaller snakes.

Ringneck Snakes are found throughout the entire lower peninsula but are very local in their distribution. The are more common in the northern half of the lower peninsula and can be extremely common on some of the larger islands within Lake Michigan. When frightened, Ringnecks will roll onto their back and display their brightly colored ventrals.

 Kirtland's Snake (Clonophis kirtlandii)

Identification: The Kirtland's Snake is a small snake that is reddish brown snake with four rows of spots along its back. These spots sometimes are faint and almost unapparent. The snakes head is black, and it's belly is red with black spots that run along its edges. Adult length is 1-2 feet.

Habitat: The Kirtland's Snake prefers moist wetlands and marhses and spends most of its time underground. It often uses abandoned crayfish burrows for cover.

Diet: Slugs & earthworms.

Kirtland's snakes are not only scarce in numbers, but their reclusive behavior makes them an extremely rare site even in areas where they are found. The Kirtland's Snake is listed as ENDANGERED in the state, so handling, harassing, and collection of this species is illegal. Any sightings should be reported to the Michigan DNR.

 Photo by Todd Pierson

Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)

Identification: Queen Snakes are slender and bluish gray in color with a yellow or white stripe on either side of their body. The belly has four dark lengthwise stripes. Adult length is 1-2 feet.

Habitat: Queen snakes are found mostly near water. Either in or near rocky streams, creeks, rivers, or ponds. They can be found in overhanging shrubbery near these areas.

Diet: Queen snakes feed primarily on crayfish, especially on the soft ones that have recently molted.

Queens can be found throughout the state along creeks where lots of flat rocks exist for them to take refuge and forage under as well. They are found statewide, but they tend to be very local in their numbers. When frightened, Queens will immediately dive into the water and submerge themselves and hide under rocks that border the bank of the stream.

Smooth Green Snake (Lioclorophis vernalis) 

Identification: Smooth Greens are small glossy snakes with a bright green coloration. Their bellies can be a light green, yellow, or even whitish color. Adult length is 12-20 inches.

 Habitat: Green Snakes inhabit open grassy areas like meadows, open woodlands, and marsh edges. They tend to remain secretive and often are hard to spot.

Diet: Smooth Green snakes are primarily insectivorious. They feed on small insects, insect larva, & spiders.

Smooth Green Snakes oddly seem to have become absent from the extreme southern lower peninsula, but are relatively common throughout the rest of the state as well as on some of the larger islands which lie in Lake Michigan.

Photo by James Doeber

Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)

Identification: Black Rat Snakes are medium to large sized snakes that are glossy black in color. They also are charachterized by a white chin and belly, which has a black checkerboard pattern to it. These snakes can grow very large and some may have very faint white blotches on their backs. Adult length is 3-7 feet. 

Habitat: Black Rats are found in woodlands, old fields, or in an around barns. They are also a very arboreal species and can be seen high up in trees. In addition, they may be found in haylofts or rafters in barns.

Diet: Rats, mice, other rodents, and birds.

Rat snakes are most common in the southern and western portions of the lower Peninsula. Black Rat Snakes are listed as a SPECIES OF SPECIAL CONCERN in Michigan, so collecting and killing of this species is illegal.

Eastern & Western Fox Snake (Elaphe gloydi & Elaphe vulpina)

Identification: Fox snakes are large snakes that are yellowish or light brown in color with black or dark brown blotches along their back and sides. The Eastern Fox Snake can be found in the southeastern Lower Peninsula, while the Western Fox Snake is found in the Upper Peninsula. Adult length is 2-5 feet.

Habitat: The Eastern Fox Snake prefers to inhabit poorly drained fields and marshes in the southeastern Lower Peninsula. The Western Fox Snake inhabits the edges of woodlands, dry fields, and sandy areas near lakes.

The Eastern Fox Snake which is found in the lower peninsula is listed as threatened in the state, handling, harassing, collecting, and killing of this species is illegal.

Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxii)

Identification: Blue Racers are medium to large sized snakes which are bluish, gray, or almost black in color with a whitish underbelly. Many Blue Racers also have a darker blue or black "mask near their eyes. These snakes are long and slender. Adult length is 2-6 feet.

Habitat: Racers inhabit open woodlands, fields, dune areas, or around the edges of marshes and lakes.

Diet: Racers feed on small mammals, frogs, and other small snakes.

Racers are swift and agile hunters that spend most of their day on the move in search of prey, making them a Diurnal species.Unfortunately due to development, racers have almost been extirpated from southeastern Michigan & are common on the west coast of the LP.

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon)

Identification: Northern Water Snakes are medium to large in size. Most adults are brown in color with darker brown crossbands. The belly of the snake is often cream colored with lots of orange or reddish-brown half moon shape markings. Adult length is 2-4 feet.

Habitat: Water Snakes are found primarily in and round lakes, ponds, rivers, streams and marshes. They are most often seen basking on rocks, bridge enbankments, logs, and overhanging branches.

Diet: Fish & frogs.

Water snakes are relatively common around any body of water within the state. They are commonly misidentified as the venomous cottonmouth and are killed on site. This trend has taken a serious toll on the species throughout the state. In areas where it once was abundant, the water snake has become scarce.

Copper-bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta)

Identification: A medium to large sized water snake with a brown, grayish, or black back with a yellowish to orange belly. The underside of the chin also boasts the copper coloration.

Habitat: Copper-bellies make their home in and around marshes, ponds, streams, swamps, and lakes. They seem to prefer slow moving or stagnant waters and normally are seen basking on logs, rocks, or overhanging branches.

Diet: Fish, frogs, & tadpoles.

Due to senseless killing and habitat loss, the numbers of this species in Michigan are extremely low. They are only found in a few southernmost counties in the state and those areas are heavily protected. The Copper-bellied Water Snake is listed as ENDANGERED in the state, so handling, harrassing, collecting and killing of the species is illegal.

Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

Identification: The Eastern Milk Sake is slender medium sized snake that can be identified  by red or brown blotches which run down its body against a white or tan background. Adult length is 2-4 feet.

Habitat: Milk snakes commonly inhabit woodlands, marshes, fields, and farmlands. They are normally encounter under piles of trash, wood, or debris near buildings where they hunt for rodents.

Diet: Mice, other small rodents, & smaller snakes.

Milk snakes are extremely important to whatever enrionment they inhabit because they are masters at controlling rodent populations. This species is often encountered near areas where rodents can be found, especially under debris and near old buildings with rodent problems. 

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

Identification: The Eastern Hognose Snake is a stocky medium sized snake which has an upturned snout, hence the name "Hognose." Most of these snakes are yellowish or orange in color with dark blotches, but they can also be completely black. Adult length is 2-4 feet.

Habitat: Hognoses usually inhabit sandy woodlands and dunes near lakes.

Diet: Its upturned snout is used to dig to help it find its food, Toads.

The hognose snakes is most common in the western and northern portions of the lower peninsula. When alarmed, this snake will flatten its neck out like a Cobra and hiss loudly, puffing its body to appear larger. It will even strike, but with its mouth closed. If this fails, the snake will turn over and play dead. It truly is a unique display of defense which has earned it the common of "puff adder" by local people.

Photo by Todd Pierson