The Types of Snakes in Lake County, California

Lake County is in central California, near Sonoma County. Of the more than 80 snake species and subspecies found in the state, 14 are confirmed as living in the county. The native snakes vary in size from a few inches to several feet. Most are constrictors, but two species are venomous.

  1. Large Snakes

    • Five of the snakes living in Lake County grow to over 4 feet in length. The two longest are the California king snake and the Pacific gopher snake, both of which regularly grow to 7 feet in length. The Western yellow-bellied racer grows to just over 6 feet. The California mountain king snake and the valley garter snake both grow to between 4 and 4 1/2 feet. Both large king snakes are subspecies and are closely related.

    Medium-Sized Snakes

    • Some of the state's species are medium-sized, ranging between 3 to 4 feet. The Californian striped racer grows to around 4 feet. It is a thin snake, dark brown to black in color, with thin, yellowish stripes running the length of its body. The Oregon and mountain garter snakes both grow to just under 4 feet on average. Both are slender snakes with dark olive to black bodies and longitudinal yellow lines.

    Small Snakes

    • Lake County is home to four smaller snake species that don't grow much over 3 feet. The smallest species is the sharp-tailed snake which grows to 8 to 12 inches long. A third subspecies of king snake lives in the county and is the St. Helena Mountain king snake, which grows to 30 inches. Both the northern rubber boa and northwestern ring-necked snake grow to just under 3 feet, on average.

    Venomous Snakes

    • Only two of the county's native species use venom to hunt and only one is considered dangerous to humans. The California night snake grows to between 12 and 26 inches and has a mild venom, which is not considered harmful. The northern Pacific rattlesnake is a thick-bodied snake that grows to between 15 to 56 inches. It will bite if threatened, and its powerful venom is potentially deadly if medical help is not sought.