The thumbnails below show various snakes or snake groups in California; most photos are by me although a few friends are also represented. Click on any active links (underlined in blue) to bring up a web page discussing the species or group with a selection of photos. All photographs were taken in the wild at the site of discovery; no snakes were harmed in the making of this web site. Fundamental resources for identification and distribution of California snakes are the Stebbins' field guide (Stebbins 2003, 1985, 1966). Names used herein follow Crother et al. (2001).

RUBBER BOAS

Rubber Boa Charina bottae
Fresno Co. [P. Backstrom]
RING-NECKED & SHARP-TAILED SNAKES

Ring-necked Snake Diadophis punctatus
Monterey Co. [D. Roberson]
WHIPSNAKES

Coachwhip (Red Racer)
Masticophis flagellum piceus
Riverside Co. [D. Roberson]
PATCH-NOSED & OTHER NEAT SNAKES

Western Patch-nosed Snake Salvadora hexalepis
Fresno Co. [P. Backstrom]
GOPHER & RAT SNAKES

Gopher Snake Pituophis catenifer
Inyo Co. [D. Roberson]
KINGSNAKES

Common Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula
Monterey Co. [D. Roberson]
LONG-NOSED SNAKE

Long-nosed Snake 
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Inyo Co. [D. Roberson]
GARTER SNAKES

California Red-sided Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis infernalis
Santa Cruz Co. [D. Roberson]
RATTLESNAKES

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Crotalus atrox
Riverside Co. [D. Roberson]

AND
a page on the state's 'most beautiful' serpent

San Francisco Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia
San Mateo Co. [D. Roberson]

On-line resources
Much more inforation on California snakes appears on the following web sites : Literature cited:
Crother, B.I., chair. 2001. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Committee of Standard English and Scientific Names, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular 29 (as supplemented in Herp. Review 32: 152-153).

Stebbins, R.C. 1966. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Stebbins, R.C. 1985. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 2d ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Stebbins, R.C. 2003. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3d ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

PHOTOS: All photos © 2004 Don Roberson, except Rubber Boa & W. Patch-nosed Snake © Parker Backstrom; all rights reserved.

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Page created 16 June 2003; revised 6 Aug 2004