Snakes in Washington
Washington has 11 snake species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 5,299 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the northwestern garter snake, the common garter snake and the western rattlesnake. One of them is venomous.
Rattlesnakes in Washington
One species of this group is listed for Washington: the western rattlesnake, with 859 records (16% of the state's snake records).
Observation records of the western rattlesnake in Washington run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Okanogan County, Kittitas County and Chelan County.
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes in Washington
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes dominate the snake record of Washington: three species and 59% of all records. The most recorded is the northwestern garter snake (1,326), ahead of the common garter snake (1,269).
Observation records of the northwestern garter snake in Washington run mostly April through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from San Juan County, King County and Kitsap County. Observation records of the common garter snake in Washington run mostly April through October, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Thurston County, Pierce County and Jefferson County. Observation records of the western terrestrial garter snake in Washington run mostly April through September, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Pierce County, Thurston County and Mason County.
Kingsnakes and milksnakes in Washington
One species of this group is listed for Washington: the California mountain kingsnake, with 9 records (0.2% of the state's snake records).
Racers, whipsnakes and indigo snakes in Washington
One species of this group is listed for Washington: the eastern racer, with 149 records (3% of the state's snake records).
Most licensed records of the eastern racer in Washington come from Klickitat County, Grant County and Okanogan County.
Gopher snakes, bullsnakes and pine snakes in Washington
One species of this group is listed for Washington: the gopher snake, with 246 records (5% of the state's snake records).
Observation records of the gopher snake in Washington run mostly April through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Grant County, Walla Walla County and Klickitat County.
Small woodland and burrowing snakes in Washington
Small woodland and burrowing snakes are a small part of the snake record here: three species with 0.7% of records between them. The most recorded is the sharp-tailed snake (27), ahead of the ring-necked snake (5).
Boas and pythons in Washington
One species of this group is listed for Washington: the northern rubber boa, with 127 records (2% of the state's snake records).
Most licensed records of the northern rubber boa in Washington come from Pierce County, Whatcom County and Kittitas County.
Where in Washington are snakes recorded most?
King County leads with 740 records (14%), followed by Okanogan County and Pierce County; the top five counties hold 48% of the total. 39 of Washington's 39 counties have at least one licensed snake record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King County | 740 | 14.0% |
| 2 | Okanogan County | 740 | 14.0% |
| 3 | Pierce County | 449 | 8.5% |
| 4 | Thurston County | 322 | 6.1% |
| 5 | San Juan County | 285 | 5.4% |
| 6 | Mason County | 214 | 4.0% |
| 7 | Skagit County | 185 | 3.5% |
| 8 | Whatcom County | 184 | 3.5% |
| 9 | Jefferson County | 175 | 3.3% |
| 10 | Kitsap County | 165 | 3.1% |
| 11 | Clallam County | 154 | 2.9% |
| 12 | Kittitas County | 150 | 2.8% |
When do snakes come out in Washington?
Observation records of snakes in Washington run mostly April through October, peaking in May with 23% of them. December through February together hold under 2% of the records, so snakes in Washington are rarely recorded in winter. The sharpest rise comes from March to April.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 0% | 3% | 16% | 23% | 16% | 16% | 12% | 7% | 4% | 1% | 1% |
Snakes: Washington compared with its neighbors
Washington ranks 40th of 50 states by the number of snake species listed, level with Idaho and Wyoming; Texas leads with 86 species.
Of the two states bordering Washington, Oregon lists more snake species; Idaho lists as many (Washington: 11 species; Oregon 16, Idaho 11).
What snakes are in Washington? All 11 species
Ranked by licensed records in Washington. Species with a profile page are linked.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern garter snake Thamnophis ordinoides | Colubridae | 1,326 | 25.0% |
| 2 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | Colubridae | 1,269 | 23.9% |
| 3 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | Viperidae | 859 | 16.2% |
| 4 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | Colubridae | 535 | 10.1% |
| 5 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | Colubridae | 246 | 4.6% |
| 6 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | Colubridae | 149 | 2.8% |
| 7 | Northern rubber boa Charina bottae | Boidae | 127 | 2.4% |
| 8 | Sharp-tailed snake Contia tenuis | Colubridae | 27 | 0.5% |
| 9 | California mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata | Colubridae | 9 | 0.2% |
| 10 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | Colubridae | 5 | 0.1% |
| 11 | Desert nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea | Colubridae | 3 | 0.1% |
Also recorded in Washington, fewer than 10 times
Beyond the main list, three snake species are known from Washington 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.