Snakes in East Virginia

The eastern half of the state of Virginia is rich in natural habitats that are well suited for a wide variety of snakes. Of Virginia's 34 native snake species, 31 can be found either commonly or in small populations in the eastern region. Most of these snake species are harmless and pose no threat to humans, but three are venomous.

  1. Small Virginia Snakes

    • The majority of snakes in eastern Virginia tend to grow to 2 feet in length or less. Four native species grow to around 10 inches on average: the northern red-bellied, south-eastern crowned, rough earth and eastern smooth earth snakes. The mountain earth snake is rare in the area and grows to 12 inches. The northern brown, eastern worm and southern ring-necked snakes all grow to about a foot in length. The northern subspecies of ring-necked snake is larger than the southern by around an inch on average. The other small species include the northern scarlet, smooth green, glossy crayfish and the queen snake, which all grow to around 2 feet.

    Medium-Sized Virginia Snakes

    • Many of the region's species tend to grow to between 2 and 4 feet, making them medium-sized snakes. The common rainbow, eastern king, red-bellied and the red corn snakes all grow to 4 feet, on average. The common water snake and mole king snakes both grow to a little under 4 feet. Several species grow to around 3 feet in length, including the eastern hog-nosed, rough green and the eastern milk snakes. The other two medium-sized species in the region --- the common ribbon and eastern garter snakes --- regularly grow to more than 2 feet.

    Largest Virginia Snakes

    • Eastern Virginia is home to four large snake species, the largest of which is the eastern rat snake. It grows to an average of 6 feet in length and has been recorded as long as 6 1/2 feet in the state. The next largest species are the northern black racer and brown water snakes, which both reach around 5 feet but can get as long as 6 feet. The eastern mud snake grows to around 4 1/2 feet, on average, but can reach almost 5 feet.

    Dangerous Virginia Snakes

    • Those living in eastern Virginia have three venomous snakes to watch out for. The largest is the timber rattlesnake, which is found in populations in the southeast portion of the state. It grows to around 5 feet and is more commonly known as the canebrake in the eastern part of Virginia. The eastern cottonmouth is also found in the southeast and grows to around 4 feet. Its most distinguishing feature is its white coloring within the mouth. The northern copperhead grows to around 3 feet in length and is recognized by the coppery coloring to its head. All three species can deliver potentially deadly bites.