Snakes in California
California has 46 snake species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 73,621 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the western terrestrial garter snake, the gopher snake and the common garter snake. Seven of them are venomous.
Rattlesnakes in California
Rattlesnakes: seven species are listed for California, with 9,109 records (12% of the state's snake records). The most recorded is the western rattlesnake (5,224), ahead of the sidewinder (1,923).
Observation records of the western rattlesnake in California run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Diego County, Los Angeles County and Santa Clara County. Observation records of the sidewinder in California run mostly March through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Riverside County, San Bernardino County and San Diego County. Observation records of the red diamond rattlesnake in California run mostly March through September, peaking in April; most licensed records come from San Diego County, Riverside County and Orange County.
Water snakes and swamp snakes in California
One species of this group is listed for California: the southern watersnake, with 30 records (under 0.1% of the state's snake records).
Most licensed records of the southern watersnake in California come from Los Angeles County, Sacramento County and Yolo County.
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes in California
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes dominate the snake record of California: eight species and 50% of all records. The most recorded is the western terrestrial garter snake (21,830), ahead of the common garter snake (5,777).
Observation records of the western terrestrial garter snake in California run mostly March through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Lassen County, Shasta County and Humboldt County. Observation records of the common garter snake in California run mostly March through November, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Shasta County, Lassen County and San Mateo County. Observation records of the aquatic garter snake in California run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Santa Cruz County, Mendocino County and Marin County.
Rat snakes and corn snakes in California
One species of this group is listed for California: the corn snake, with 5 records (under 0.1% of the state's snake records).
Kingsnakes and milksnakes in California
Kingsnakes and milksnakes: two species are listed for California, with 3,208 records (4% of the state's snake records). The most recorded is the California kingsnake (2,675), ahead of the California mountain kingsnake (533).
Observation records of the California kingsnake in California run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Diego County, Los Angeles County and Riverside County. Observation records of the California mountain kingsnake in California run mostly April through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County and San Diego County.
Racers, whipsnakes and indigo snakes in California
Racers, whipsnakes and indigo snakes: six species are listed for California, with 4,380 records (6% of the state's snake records). The most recorded is the eastern racer (1,270), ahead of the striped racer (1,246).
Observation records of the eastern racer in California run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Mateo County, San Diego County and Santa Clara County. Observation records of the striped racer in California run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Diego County, Los Angeles County and Riverside County. Observation records of the coachwhip in California run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Riverside County, San Bernardino County and San Diego County.
Gopher snakes, bullsnakes and pine snakes in California
One species of this group is listed for California: the gopher snake, with 7,188 records (10% of the state's snake records).
Observation records of the gopher snake in California run mostly March through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Diego County, Santa Clara County and Los Angeles County.
Small woodland and burrowing snakes in California
Small woodland and burrowing snakes: 16 species are listed for California, with 10,015 records (14% of the state's snake records). The most recorded is the ring-necked snake (1,797), ahead of the western shovel-nosed snake (1,482).
Plus four: Desert nightsnake, Forest sharp-tailed snake, Brahminy blindsnake, Southwestern blackhead snake.
Observation records of the ring-necked snake in California run mostly February through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from San Diego County, Santa Clara County and San Mateo County. Observation records of the western shovel-nosed snake in California run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Bernardino County, Riverside County and San Diego County. Observation records of the glossy snake in California run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Diego County, San Bernardino County and Riverside County.
Boas and pythons in California
Boas and pythons are a small part of the snake record here: four species with 2% of records between them. The most recorded is the northern rubber boa (642), ahead of the rosy boa (406).
Observation records of the northern rubber boa in California run mostly March through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Tulare County, San Mateo County and Tuolumne County. Most licensed records of the rosy boa in California come from San Diego County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County. Observation records of the northern three-lined boa in California run mostly February through July, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Riverside County, San Diego County and San Bernardino County.
Where in California are snakes recorded most?
San Diego County leads with 9,077 records (12%), followed by Lassen County and Shasta County; the top five counties hold 43% of the total. 58 of California's 58 counties have at least one licensed snake record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego County | 9,077 | 12.3% |
| 2 | Lassen County | 7,781 | 10.6% |
| 3 | Shasta County | 6,589 | 9.0% |
| 4 | Riverside County | 4,078 | 5.5% |
| 5 | San Bernardino County | 3,802 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Humboldt County | 3,757 | 5.1% |
| 7 | Sonoma County | 2,543 | 3.5% |
| 8 | San Mateo County | 2,376 | 3.2% |
| 9 | Los Angeles County | 2,261 | 3.1% |
| 10 | Santa Cruz County | 2,101 | 2.9% |
| 11 | Santa Clara County | 1,874 | 2.5% |
| 12 | Alameda County | 1,639 | 2.2% |
When do snakes come out in California?
Observation records of snakes in California run mostly March through October, peaking in May with 23% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 5% of the records. The sharpest rise comes from March to April.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1% | 3% | 10% | 20% | 23% | 14% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 2% | 1% |
Snakes: California compared with its neighbors
California ranks 6th of 50 states by the number of snake species listed; Texas leads with 86 species.
Of the three states bordering California, Arizona lists more snake species (California: 46 species; Arizona 60, Nevada 27, Oregon 16).
What snakes are in California? All 46 species
Ranked by licensed records in California. Species with a profile page are linked.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | Colubridae | 21,830 | 29.7% |
| 2 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | Colubridae | 7,188 | 9.8% |
| 3 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | Colubridae | 5,777 | 7.8% |
| 4 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | Viperidae | 5,224 | 7.1% |
| 5 | Aquatic garter snake Thamnophis atratus | Colubridae | 3,727 | 5.1% |
| 6 | Western aquatic garter snake Thamnophis couchii | Colubridae | 3,716 | 5.0% |
| 7 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | Colubridae | 2,675 | 3.6% |
| 8 | Sidewinder venomous Crotalus cerastes | Viperidae | 1,923 | 2.6% |
| 9 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | Colubridae | 1,797 | 2.4% |
| 10 | Two-striped garter snake Thamnophis hammondii | Colubridae | 1,620 | 2.2% |
| 11 | Western shovel-nosed snake Sonora occipitalis | Colubridae | 1,482 | 2.0% |
| 12 | Glossy snake Arizona elegans | Colubridae | 1,425 | 1.9% |
| 13 | Spotted leaf-nosed snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus | Colubridae | 1,276 | 1.7% |
| 14 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | Colubridae | 1,270 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Striped racer Masticophis lateralis | Colubridae | 1,246 | 1.7% |
| 16 | Coachwhip Masticophis flagellum | Colubridae | 1,152 | 1.6% |
| 17 | Long-nosed snake Rhinocheilus lecontei | Colubridae | 1,014 | 1.4% |
| 18 | Red diamond rattlesnake venomous Crotalus ruber | Viperidae | 916 | 1.2% |
| 19 | Sharp-tailed snake Contia tenuis | Colubridae | 891 | 1.2% |
| 20 | Western threadsnake Rena humilis | Leptotyphlopidae | 674 | 0.9% |
| 21 | Northern rubber boa Charina bottae | Boidae | 642 | 0.9% |
| 22 | Western patch-nosed snake Salvadora hexalepis | Colubridae | 613 | 0.8% |
| 23 | California mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata | Colubridae | 533 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Mohave rattlesnake venomous Crotalus scutulatus | Viperidae | 430 | 0.6% |
| 25 | Rosy boa Lichanura trivirgata | Boidae | 406 | 0.6% |
| 26 | Western ground snake Sonora semiannulata | Colubridae | 296 | 0.4% |
| 27 | Southwestern speckled rattlesnake venomous Crotalus pyrrhus | Viperidae | 269 | 0.4% |
| 28 | Coast nightsnake Hypsiglena ochrorhynchus | Colubridae | 232 | 0.3% |
| 29 | Colorado desert shovel-nosed snake Chionactis annulata | Colubridae | 226 | 0.3% |
| 30 | Northwestern garter snake Thamnophis ordinoides | Colubridae | 223 | 0.3% |
| 31 | Western black-headed snake Tantilla planiceps | Colubridae | 194 | 0.3% |
| 32 | Baja California lyre snake Trimorphodon lyrophanes | Colubridae | 183 | 0.2% |
| 33 | Panamint rattlesnake venomous Crotalus stephensi | Viperidae | 178 | 0.2% |
| 34 | Western diamondback rattlesnake venomous Crotalus atrox | Viperidae | 169 | 0.2% |
| 35 | Northern three-lined boa Lichanura orcutti | Boidae | 138 | 0.2% |
| 36 | Giant garter snake Thamnophis gigas | Colubridae | 121 | 0.2% |
| 37 | Desert nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea | Colubridae | 112 | 0.2% |
| 38 | Forest sharp-tailed snake Contia longicauda | Colubridae | 110 | 0.1% |
| 39 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | Colubridae | 94 | 0.1% |
| 40 | Brahminy blindsnake introduced Indotyphlops braminus | Typhlopidae | 52 | 0.1% |
| 41 | Southwestern blackhead snake Tantilla hobartsmithi | Colubridae | 51 | 0.1% |
| 42 | Southern watersnake introduced Nerodia fasciata | Colubridae | 30 | 0.0% |
| 43 | Checkered garter snake Thamnophis marcianus | Colubridae | 21 | 0.0% |
| 44 | Baja California coachwhip Masticophis fuliginosus | Colubridae | 5 | 0.0% |
| 45 | Corn snake Pantherophis guttatus | Colubridae | 5 | 0.0% |
| 46 | Southern rubber boa Charina umbratica | Boidae | 5 | 0.0% |
Also recorded in California, fewer than 10 times
Beyond the main list, four snake species are known from California by only 3 to 9 records each. Some are genuine rarities at the edge of their range; others may be strays, released pets or old misidentifications, so treat them as unconfirmed.
Related pages
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.