Scientific Name: Farancia abacuraPhoto Credits: Eric StineThis non-venomous watersnake has a shiny black body and red bars extending on both sides. Mud snakes live in swamps, marshes, Carolina bays, and other slow-moving bodies of water. They eat small frogs, tadpoles, and aquatic salamanders. Explore the full species profile, including their habitat, diet, and behavior on Herps of NC.
Topics Related to Reptiles - Snakes
Scientific Name: Regina rigidaPhoto Credits: JD WilsonFound in swampy areas, the Glossy Crayfish Snake has two faint dark stripes running down its olive-brown body. The non-venomous watersnake eats primarily crayfish with teeth that can hold onto the hard shells. They are most active at night.Explore the full species profile, including their habitat, diet, and behavior on Herps of NC.
Scientific Name: Seminatrix pygaeaPhoto Credits: JD WilsonFound in Carolina swamps, the Carolina Swamp snake eats small fish, tadpoles, leechs, and salamander larvae. Their belly is bright red with a shiny black back. The females give birth to 2-13 young and the babies look like small adults. As a defense, they release a musk, but rarely bite, and are non-venomous.Explore the full species profile, including their habitat, diet, and behavior on Herps of NC.
Scientific Name: Nerodia taxispilotaPhoto Credits: JD WilsonFound in rivers and large streams in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina, brown water snakes eat catfish. They are often mistaken for cottonmouths because of brown skin with squarish blotches running down the center of their back, but they are non-venomous. The snake has a square head, and females grow much larger than males.
Scientific Name: Nerodia fasciataPhoto Credit: JD WilsonBanded water snakes are frequently found in various freshwater habitats throughout the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. These snakes have stocky bodies with brown or gray backs featuring reddish to dark brown crossbands running the length of their bodies. Their diet consists of fish, frogs, tadpoles, and salamanders. Similar to other water snake species, female banded water snakes are larger than their male counterparts.
Scientific Name: Heterodon simusClassification: State Listed as ThreatenedPhoto Credits: Ian DeerySouthern hognose snakes eat primarily toads and other amphibians. These non-venomous snakes are found in sandy fields and woods of the Coastal Plain and Sandhills region. Southern hognose snakes are very stocky and have patterns of large, dark brown blotches on a tan or light gray background.
Scientific Name: Tantilla coronataPhoto Credits: Ian DeeryCrowned snakes are most common in sandy woodlands, flatwoods, and sandhills. They feed primarily on centipedes but may also eat some insects. Its small, shiny brown snake characterized by a light band at the rear of the black head.Explore the full species profile, including their habitat, diet, and behavior on Herps of NC.
Scientific Name: Virginia valeriaePhoto Credits: JD WilsonSmooth earth snakes are usually found in forested areas where they stay hidden. They feed mostly on earthworms. Its scales are smooth and it is often characterized by tiny black dots scattered across the back.Explore the full species profile, including their habitat, diet, and behavior on Herps of NC.
Scientific Name: Cemophora coccineaPhoto Credits: Ian DeeryScarlet snakes spend most of their time below ground, searching for reptile eggs. They inhabit oak and pine forests with sandy soil. One can easily distinguish scarlet snakes from coral snakes because they have black bands that separate their wide red bands from their yellow bands.Explore the full species profile, including their habitat, diet, and behavior on Herps of NC.
Scientific Name: Lampropeltis elapsoidesPhoto Credits: Mike MartinScarlet kingsnakes are usually thought to be mimics of the venomous coral snakes and have bright red, black, and yellow bands that extend across the belly. These snakes are found within rotting logs and under bark in the pine forests of the Coastal Plain.They are constrictors and eat small snakes, lizards, and mice.