What snake species are common to Washington state and how many are venomous?

A man’s encounter with an aggressive snake under a Tacoma bridge recently might have you wondering what snake species call Washington home and how many of them are venomous.

Eight species of snakes are common to the state, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, with only the Western rattlesnake being venomous.

Here is a list, with a description provided from the Fish and Wildlife website:

▪ Common garter snake. ”Next to the Northwestern garter snake, this species is the most frequently encountered snake. It has brightly colored stripes (yellow, green, blue) that run lengthwise along its body, and a grayish-blue underside. It grows to 2 to 3 feet.”

▪ Western terrestrial garter snake. “This garter snake is usually gray-brown or black, with a dark, checkered pattern between yellow stripes.” It can grow to 40 inches.

▪ Northwestern garter snake. “It’s more slender than other garter snakes, reaching 2 feet at maturity. It is dark above and has stripes of varying colors, often red and orange.”

▪ Gopher snake, aka bull snake. “It’s a robust snake, measuring 3 to 4 feet in length, with dark blotches against tan along its back. The gopher snake is often mistaken for a rattlesnake, owing to its coloration and its impressive display of coiling, striking, and loud hissing.”

▪ Night snake. “The similar looking (to gopher snake) but rarely seen night snake occurs in similar habitats in eastern Washington.”

▪ Racer. “It is about 3 feet long, plain brown or olive above, with a pale yellow belly. It is thinner than a garter snake of comparable size. The racer is well named because it can move extremely fast.”

▪ Western rattlesnake. “It is distinguished by its broad, triangular head that is much wider than its neck, the diamond-shaped pattern along the middle of its back, and the rattles on the tip of its tail ... Rattlesnake fangs are hollow and are used to inject the snakes’ venom in order to stun or kill their prey—mice, woodrats, ground squirrels, and young rabbits and marmots.

“A rattlesnake bite seldom delivers enough venom to kill a human, although painful swelling and discoloration may occur.”

▪ Rubber boa. It is “a member of the same family as the world’s largest snakes — including the boa constrictor, python, and anaconda. However, our local species only measures 14 to 30 inches. It is olive-green, reddish-brown, or tan to chocolate-brown. It looks rubbery and has a short, broad snout and a short, blunt tail, giving it a two-headed appearance.”

More information and photographs of Washington’s most common snakes can be found at the Fish and Wildlife website.

This story was originally published July 29, 2021 at 12:03 PM.