Overview
South Carolina has around 38 snake species spread across mountains, piedmont, sandhills, and coastal swamp, and only six are venomous. The overwhelming majority are harmless and help control rodents and pests.
Always identify a snake from a distance — a photo from several feet away is safer and just as reliable as a close look. This guide covers the snakes you are most likely to meet in South Carolina yards, woods, and wetlands.
Key Species to Know
Black Racer
Coluber constrictor
A sleek, fast, solid-black non-venomous snake with a pale chin and large eyes, common in yards and field edges. Nervous and quick to flee rather than fight.
Corn Snake
Pantherophis guttatus
A brightly patterned orange-and-red non-venomous constrictor, sometimes mistaken for a copperhead but slimmer and more vividly marked. A gentle rodent-hunter.
Eastern Kingsnake
Lampropeltis getula
A glossy black non-venomous snake with thin white or cream chain-link bands. Famous for eating other snakes, including venomous ones, and completely harmless to people.
Copperhead
Agkistrodon contortrix
A pit viper with hourglass-shaped chestnut bands over a tan body, blending into leaf litter. Venomous but generally mild; relies on camouflage and often holds still.
Cottonmouth
Agkistrodon piscivorus
A thick-bodied semi-aquatic pit viper, dark with a pale-lined face, that gapes to show a white "cotton" mouth when threatened. Venomous and often confused with harmless water snakes.
Eastern Coral Snake
Micrurus fulvius
A small, secretive snake ringed in red, yellow, and black, with red and yellow bands touching. Venomous but shy and rarely seen.
Seasonal Guide
- Snakes are most active spring through fall, and on warm evenings in summer.
- Be cautious around water edges, where cottonmouths and harmless water snakes both bask.
- Most bites happen when people try to handle or kill a snake — give any snake room and it will leave.
Safety Reminder
Identify snakes from a safe distance only, and never handle one to get a photo. If someone is bitten, treat it as a medical emergency and contact emergency services immediately — do not wait to identify the snake or attempt folk remedies. App results are reference information, not medical advice.
Identify it instantly
Found something and not sure what it is? Point your camera with Spotter and get a species identification in seconds — with detailed reference info and species notes.