Snakes of the Southeast Desert in California

The southeast corner of California contains a large area of mountainous and sandy desert which includes the Imperial Sand Dunes. The natural habitats in this area are home to 18 different species of snake including three that are dangerous to humans. These species are adapted to the dry, hot conditions in this corner of the state.

  1. Large Snakes

    • The desert regions of southeast California are home to five large snake species. The largest is the red racer which grows to 102 inches in length. It is a slender snake species with a pinkish red coloration. The California king snake is black with thin white stripes around its body and grows to 85 inches. Slightly shorter, at 84 inches, is the Sonoran gopher snake which has coloration like a rattlesnake. The desert glossy snake grows to 70 inches in length and has pale, smooth skin coloration. The long-nosed snake grows to just 60 inches in length and has a black and orange striped coloration.

    Medium-Sized Snakes

    • A small number of the state's snake species are medium-sized with three that grow to between 2 and 4 feet in length. The desert patch-nosed snake grows to just under 4 feet. It is a slender species that has a grayish body and thin yellow, longitudinal stripes. The northern three-lined boa grows to around 44 inches in length and has a thick grayish body with brown longitudinal lines. The third medium-sized species is Marcy's checkered garter snake which grows to around 3 1/2 feet long. As the name suggests, it has a check-marked pattern with darker and lighter coloration.

    Small Snakes

    • The southeast desert region is home to five species of small snake that grow to less than 2 feet in length. The smallest is the desert thread snake which grows to just over a foot and has a very slim body. Two subspecies of shovel-nosed snake are found in the region, both of which are slender and grow to 17 inches in length. They are the Colorado and Mojave desert shovel-nosed varieties. The variable ground snake is just a little longer, at 18 inches. The spotted leaf-nosed snake is a little larger still, at 20 inches.

    Venomous Snakes

    • The region is home to five snake species that use venom to kill their prey. Two are only mildly venomous and pose no risk to humans. They are the northern desert night snake and the Baja California lyresnake. The highly venomous western diamondback rattlesnake is the region's largest venomous snake at up to 90 inches. The southwestern speckled rattlesnake is also native to the region as is the Colorado desert sidewinder, both of which possess dangerous venom.