Common Snakes of Texas

Texas is one of the largest states in the country, and because a lot of it is desert area you will find that it is home to one of the largest populations of snakes within the United States. In fact, Texas has 15 different kinds of venomous snakes alone, giving you a clear idea that this is an area that you have to be incredibly careful in while visiting.



One of the most populous of snakes within the state is the Texas coral snake. This snake is a member of the Elapidae family, which means that it releases neurotoxins that paralyze their intended victims. This snake comes from the same family as cobras, so it is easy to see how dangerous they can be. The Texas coral snake usually grows to no larger than two and one-half feet long, and has several rings around its body.

The Texas brown snake has areas of dark and light brown that are found on it. This is found mostly in the eastern side of the state, and it is not uncommon to find them lurking in garbage cans and gardens. They grow to be a little over a foot long, and are not dangerous to people at all.

Another very commonly found snake in the state is the Texas rat snake. This reptile is found a lot in north Texas, especially around the Dallas area. It only makes sense that they would be found in these areas as rats are more apt to follow where people are living. Thus the rat snake finds a harvest of food by locating itself around where people live knowing that rats will be plentiful there as well.

The copperhead is another venomous snake that is commonly found in the state. They most commonly eat rodents, but they will attack human beings and can be quite lethal. These snakes have an incredible internal organ that allows them to be able to detect objects via infrared making them incredibly dangerous as predators.

While Texas is known for its dry, arid deserts, there are quite a few water snakes that can be found in the Lone Star State. There are several water moccasins that are found in large numbers in Texas, but none is more prominent than the diamondback water snake. It is not only that these animals are so abundant, but that they are also one of the largest water snakes you will find. They say that everything is bigger in Texas, and this is a prime example. Because of its size it is able to dominate many of the ecosystems it would reside in and this keeps its numbers up. Even larger land animals like coyotes and wolves give this reptile a wide berth Read more: Snake Control, Venomous Snakes of Florida, How to Identify Snakes, How to Kill Snakes.