Snakes in Indiana

4 venomous species · 18 species covered

Venomous snakes are rare and localised. The eastern massasauga is state-endangered.

Venomous snakes in Indiana

These are the species worth being able to recognise. Every one of them would rather avoid you than bite.

Harmless snakes in Indiana

Far more common than the venomous species, and the source of nearly every alarming snake report. Several are actively useful to have around.

Northern Water SnakeHarmless

Dark crossbands at the front of the body giving way to alternating blotches towards the tail.

Plain-bellied Water SnakeHarmless

Adults are plain dark olive, grey or brown above with no pattern at all, and a completely unmarked belly that is yellow, orange or red.

Diamondback Water SnakeHarmless

A net-like chain of dark markings forming rough diamond outlines down a brown or olive back — an open lattice rather than solid shapes.

Western RatsnakeHarmless

Highly variable. Northern animals are near black; Texas animals are tan or yellowish with dark brown blotches and often an orange wash between the scales.

Gopher Snake / BullsnakeHarmless

Large dark brown or black squarish blotches on a cream, tan or yellowish ground, becoming crossbands on the tail.

Eastern Milk SnakeHarmless

Red-brown saddles with crisp black outlines on a pale grey or tan ground.

Common Garter SnakeHarmless

Three pale lengthwise stripes — one down the spine and one along each side — on a dark ground, often with a checkerboard of dark spots between them.

Eastern Hognose SnakeMildly venomous

Highly variable — blotched brown and tan, solid grey, olive, orange or plain black.

North American RacerHarmless

Uniform satin black, slate blue, olive or brown above with a plain pale belly and usually a white chin.

Rough Green SnakeHarmless

Uniform bright leaf-green above with a plain white, cream or pale yellow belly.

Dekay's BrownsnakeHarmless

Plain brown or grey-brown with a slightly paler stripe down the back, edged by two rows of small dark dots.

Red-bellied SnakeHarmless

Grey, brown or nearly black above, sometimes with a faint pale stripe, and a startlingly bright orange or red belly.

Ring-necked SnakeHarmless

Smooth slate-grey or blue-black above with a bright yellow or orange ring around the neck and a matching yellow, orange or red belly, sometimes spotted with black.

Eastern WormsnakeHarmless

Uniform glossy brown above with a pink or salmon belly, the two colours meeting in a straight line along the side.

Before anything else

  • Back away and leave it alone. A snake that can see you leaving has no reason to bite. Most bites in the United States happen to people who picked up, cornered, or tried to kill a snake.
  • Never handle a snake to identify it. Every identification on this site can be made from a photo or from several feet away.
  • If someone is bitten, call emergency services now. Keep the limb still and below the heart, remove rings and watches, and go to hospital. Do not cut, suck, apply ice, or use a tourniquet — all of these make outcomes worse.
  • Do not try to catch the snake for identification. A photo from a distance is enough, and hospitals treat symptoms rather than species.

In the US, the Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222. This site is a reference, not medical advice.

Identify what you saw in Indiana

Already filtered to Indiana. Add the markings, size and behaviour to narrow it further.

1.Which state are you in?

The most powerful question here. Most states have only one or two venomous species, and several have none at all.

2.What were the markings like?

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Judge this from the back of the snake. Whether the pattern continues onto the belly is the single most useful thing to notice with a ringed snake.

3.How big was it?

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People consistently overestimate snake length, so this only narrows things roughly — neighbouring sizes stay on the list.

4.Where did you see it?

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Habitat rules out a surprising amount. A snake several feet up a tree is very unlikely to be a pit viper.

5.Did it do any of these?

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Behaviour is often more reliable than colour. Pick everything you actually saw — not what you think it might have done.

6.What colour was it?

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Deliberately last, and it never removes anything from the list. Snakes look completely different when wet, shedding, or seen in shade.