Tam's Sunshine House

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 Michigan Species

1. Black Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta)

• Description:    A large shiny black snake with a white chin and throat. Young rat snakes are patterned with dark blotches on a gray background, and traces of this juvenile coloration are often visible in adult specimens. This is Michigan's largest snake.
• Adult length:   3.5 to 8 feet.
• Habitat:            Woodlands
• Food:               Small rodents (field mice, chipmunks), Birds
• Other Items:    Lays up to 20 eggs during the midsummer.  This snake normally inhabits or spends large amounts of time in trees or bushes.

2. Blue Racer (Coluber constrictor foxi)

• Description:     A large gray or blue snake with smooth scales. The head is usually darker than the body, though the chin and throat are white. The belly is light blue or white. Young racers are grayish, with a pattern of darker blotches and spots.
• Adult length:   4 to 6 feet.
• Habitat:             Near water, woodlands & meadows
• Food:                Small rodents (field mice, chipmunks), other frogs & snakes
• Other Items:     Lays up to 20 eggs in mid-summer

3. Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) 

• Description:   A small brown or gray snake with a light stripe down the back bordered by black dots. These dots may join to form crossbars. The belly is white, cream, or pinkish in color.
• Adult length:   9 to 16 inches.
• Habitat:            Fields, farms and city lots
• Food:               Slugs and Worms
• Other Items:   Births up to 30 live young which are born in late summer. This snake is secretive and timid

4. Butler's Garter Snake (Thamnophis butleri)

• Description:    A small black, brown, or olive snake with three distinct yellow stripes down the back and a yellowish belly. Some specimens have dark spots between the stripes. The dark head is very small.
• Adult length:   15 to 27 inches.
• Habitat:             Near water, meadows & marshes
• Food:                Worms, small frogs
• Other Items:    Births up to 50 live babies which are born in mid-summer

5. Common Garter Snake (also known as Eastern Garter Snake) (Thamnophis sirtalis)

• Description:    A medium sized striped snake with variable coloration. Most are gray, brown, or greenish with three yellowish stripes down the back, and there may be black spots between the stripes, making the snake look "checkered". The belly is pale white, green, or yellow. The tongue is red with a black tip.
• Adult length:   2 to 4 feet.
• Habitat:            Very widespread, can be found throughout Michigan
• Food:               Worms, Fish & Frogs
• Other Items:    Births up to 50 live babies which are born in the summer. It is difficult to distinguish this type of garter snake from the other garter snakes

6. Copper-bellied Water Snake (Nerodia erythrogaster neglecta)

• Description:    One of the larger snakes in Michigan, the copper-bellied water snake can grow to a length of 4-5 feet. Adult snakes are easily identified by their dark brown or black back which contrasts easily with the unmarked reddish-to-orange belly and chin. The young have a blotched pattern which may remain visible in some adult specimens.
• Adult length:    4 to 5 feet.
• Habitat:             Near water, all types
• Food:                 Fish & Frogs
• Other Items:     Births up to 30 live young born in late summer

7. Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

• Description:     A thick-bodied, slow-moving snake with a flattened, upturned "nose." Color is variable some have dark spots and blotches on a yellow, orange, or brown background, but other specimens are solid black, brown, or olive with little or no visible pattern. Easily identified by defensive behavior
• Adult length:    20 to 40 inches.
• Habitat:             Sandy areas, near water
• Food:                 Toads & frogs
• Other Items:     Lays up to 50 eggs in early summer, 'plays dead' when threatened

8. Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus)

• Description:    Michigan's only venomous snake found in a variety of wetlands and nearby upland woods throughout the lower peninsula. It is colored with a pattern of dark brown slightly rectangular patches set against a light gray-to-brown background. Occasionally, this coloration can be so dark as to appear almost black. The belly is mostly black. It is the only Michigan snake with segmented rattles on the end of its tail and elliptical, ("cat like") vertical pupils in the eyes. The neck is narrow, contrasting with the wide head and body and the head appears triangular in shape.
• Adult length:   2 to 3 feet.
• Habitat:            This snake lives near water, marshes, swamps, and similar areas
• Food:               Small rodents (field mice, chipmunks), Frogs
• Other Items:    Births up to 20 live young born in late summer, a shy snake that avoids people

9. Eastern Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum triangulum)

• Description: This is a slender, smooth scaled snake with reddish or brown blotches on a gray or tan background color. There is usually a light "Y" or "V" shaped marking just behind the head. The belly is white with a black checkerboard pattern.
• Adult length:  2 to 4 feet.
• Habitat:            Farmlands, fields, marshes
• Food:               Rodents (field mice, chipmunks, rats), snakes
• Other Items:    Lays up to 20 eggs in early summer, tend to be nocturnal

10. Eastern Fox Snake (Elaphe gloydi)

• Description:     A large yellowish or light brown snake with dark brown or black blotches down the back and sides. The head may be reddish or orange, and the belly is yellowish, checkered with black. Two species of the fox snake occur in Michigan (see below) but their ranges do not overlap.
• Adult length:    3 to 5 feet.
• Habitat:              Woodlands and fields
• Food:                  Rodents (field mice, chipmunks, rats), Birds, Frogs
• Other Items:      Lays up to 30 eggs in mid-summer, young have a brighter color pattern. The Eastern Fox Snake (Elaphe Gloydi) is sometimes called a 'Spotted Adder'

11. Kirtland's Snake (Clonophis kirtlandii)

• Description:    A small reddish brown snake with four rows of black (often indistinct) blotches down its back, and a black head. The belly is pink or red with a row of black dots along each side.
• Adult length:  12 to 18 inches.
• Habitat:            Near water; meadows, vacant lots
• Food:                Slugs & Worms
• Other Items:    Births up to 8 live young,

12. Northern Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis sauritus septentrionalis)

• Description:   A very slender black or brown snake with three bright yellow or white stripes down the back. The head is black, though the scales above and below the mouth are white. The belly is white or light yellow.
• Adult length:  18 to 38 inches.
• Habitat:            Near water, all types
• Food:               Small fish, frogs
• Other Items:    Births up to 15 live young, in mid-summer

13. Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)

• Description:   A water snake with dark bands or blotches on a light brown or gray background color. Some old adults may appear solid black or brown. The belly is white with reddish half moon shaped markings; some specimens have an orange belly speckled with brown or black. (The endangered Copper Bellied Water Snake has an unmarked reddish or orange belly.)
• Adult length:  2 to 4 feet.
• Habitat:            In or near water of all types
• Food:                Fish, Frogs & Toads
• Other Items:    Births up to 40 live young, often mistaken for venomous snakes

14. Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)

• Description:   This is a slender gray or brown snake with a whitish or yellow stripe on each side of the body. Three narrow black stripes may be visible on the back. The light colored belly has four dark lengthwise stripes.
• Adult length:  15 to 36 inches.
• Habitat:            Near water
• Food:                Fish & Crayfish
• Other Items:    Births up to 25 live young, born in late summer. This snake can sometimes be found in trees and bushes

15. Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata)

• Description:    A very small brown or gray snake with faint stripes down its back. The belly is red, pink, or orange (without the double row of dots seen in the rare Kirtland's Snake.)
• Adult length:   8 to 16 inches.
• Habitat:            Farmlands, woodlands
• Food:                Worms & slugs
• Other Items:    Births up to 12 live young born in late summer, young born very dark

16. Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardii)

• Description:   A small black or gray, shiny scaled snake with a yellow ring around its neck. Michigan ring-neck snakes have a plain yellow belly, sometimes with a few black dots down the midline.
• Adult length: 10 to 24 inches.
• Habitat:            Woodlands, near water, all types
• Food:               Worms, frogs, salamanders
• Other Items:    Lays up to 10 eggs in mid-summer, a shy and secretive snake

17. Smooth Green Snake (Liochlorophis vernalis)

• Description:   A small, smooth scaled bright green snake with a whitish or yellowish belly. Young green snakes are olive, brown, or gray. An occasional adult specimen will retain the juvenile color.
• Adult length:  12 to 24 inches.
• Habitat:            Meadows, somewhat aboreal
• Food:               Worms, frogs, salamanders
• Other Items:    Lays up to 12 tiny eggs in the summer, susceptible to pesticides. This snake can be found on the ground or in trees or bushes.

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Last modified: 06/13/09