Snakes in Kansas

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

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.

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

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.

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

Black with a single small yellow or cream dot in the centre of nearly every scale, giving an overall salt-and-pepper appearance.

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.

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

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

Typically dark at the head and fading to tan or pink towards the tail, where the scale pattern resembles a braided whip.

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

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

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.