FG-0040 · Wildlife · 6 species
Identifying Snakes in Kentucky
By Derek Gauger · Updated
Overview
Kentucky has around 33 snake species across its hills, forests, and river valleys, and only four are venomous. The great majority are harmless and beneficial.
Identify from a distance — a photo from several feet away is all you need. This guide covers the snakes you are most likely to encounter in Kentucky.
Key species to know
FG-0040.01
Gray Rat Snake
Pantherophis spiloides
A large non-venomous constrictor, gray with darker blotches, and a strong climber often found near barns and outbuildings. Harmless and a valuable rodent-hunter.
Habitat: Woodlands, farmland, and suburbs statewide.
FG-0040.02
Eastern Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
A slender, harmless snake with three pale stripes down a dark body. Common in gardens and near water; gentle and quick to flee.
Habitat: Gardens, meadows, and damp areas near water.
FG-0040.03
Northern Water Snake
Nerodia sipedon
A non-venomous water snake with dark bands, frequently mistaken for a cottonmouth and needlessly killed. Harmless but will flatten and bite if cornered.
Habitat: Ponds, rivers, lakes, and wetland edges.
FG-0040.04
Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
A pit viper with hourglass-shaped chestnut bands over a tan body, superbly camouflaged in leaf litter. Kentucky's most common venomous snake; generally mild.
Habitat: Rocky wooded hillsides, ridges, and creek edges statewide.
Venomous. Watch where you step and reach in leaf litter and rocky areas.
FG-0040.05
Timber Rattlesnake
Crotalus horridus
A large, heavy-bodied rattlesnake with dark chevron crossbands and a rattle. Venomous but usually reluctant to strike; gives a buzzing warning when disturbed.
Habitat: Forested mountains, rocky bluffs, and ridges, mainly in the east and south.
Venomous. Keep well back and never attempt to handle or kill it.
FG-0040.06
Western Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
A thick-bodied semi-aquatic pit viper, dark with a pale facial stripe, that gapes to show a white mouth when threatened. In Kentucky it is limited to the far west.
Habitat: Swamps and slow water in the Jackson Purchase region of far western Kentucky.
Venomous. Give a wide berth to any thick-bodied snake near water in western Kentucky and never handle it.
Through the seasons
- Snakes are most active in spring and fall, and on warm summer evenings.
- Watch your footing on rocky ridges and around woodpiles.
- Most bites occur when people try to handle or kill a snake — give it room and it will leave.
Questions
- How many venomous snakes are in Kentucky?
- Four: the copperhead (statewide, most common), timber rattlesnake, western cottonmouth (far west), and pygmy rattlesnake (very local in the west).
- What is the best way to identify a snake safely?
- From a distance. Take a photo from several feet away and use an app like Spotter to identify the species — never pick up or corner a snake for a closer look.
From Field Notes
- Is That a Cottonmouth or a Harmless Water Snake? How to Tell Them Apart Safely
- What Is the Snake That Plays Dead and Flattens Like a Cobra? Meet the Eastern Hognose
- What Is the Big Black Snake in My Yard? Identifying Rat Snakes and Black Racers
- What Is the Striped Snake in My Garden? Identifying the Garter Snake
Not sure what you found?
Take a photo with Spotter for the name, field marks, look-alikes and safety notes in seconds.
In this guide
- Species
- 6
- Region
- Kentucky