There are 19 types of snakes in Minnesota including 17 nonvenomous and two venomous. Don’t get too worried, though, as the two venomous species are quite uncommon in the North Star State.
Whether you are in need of a herping guide for the next time you’re surveying the assorted geography of Minnesota or you’re in the market for a new pet, this list should prove beneficial when it comes to knowing the ins and outs of the different snake species in Minnesota.
Table of Contents
Nonvenomous Snakes in Minnesota
1. Blue racer
- Experience: Expert
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Coluber constrictor foxii
- Other Names: Runner, North American racer
- Adult Size: 36-60 inches (91.44-152.4 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 15-20 years
- Average Price Range: $40-$80
This speedy snake is generally solid blue, gray, or green with a yellow throat—once it reaches adulthood. Juvenile racers look completely different, having dark blotches.
They can be found in prairies, savannas, and woodland edges in southeast Minnesota. They are also often seen crossing the street—fast! Birds, rodents, and lizards make up a bulk of the blue racer’s diet.
2. Common garter snake
- Experience: Beginner
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Thamnophis sirtalis
- Other Names: Grass snake, garden snake
- Adult Size: 16-26 inches (40.64-66.04 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 8-10 years
- Average Price Range: $30
From wetlands to woodlands, common garter snakes occur in most Minnesota habitats. These slender snakes are black with three yellow dorsal stripes.
The common garter snake’s diet consists of frogs, toads, salamanders, earthworms, and even fish. This species is the most common snake in the state.
3. Common watersnake
- Experience: Intermediate
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Nerodia sipedon
- Other Names: Northern watersnake
- Adult Size: 24-42 inches (60.96-106.68 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 9 years
- Average Price Range: $30
Minnesota’s common watersnake is generally gray, red, brown, or black with dark crossbands going down the course of the body. Sometimes considered a rattlesnake mimic, these snakes can vibrate their tail when threatened.
Common watersnakes inhabit lakes, rivers, and streams in the southeastern corner of the state. Their diet revolves around fish and amphibians.
4. DeKay’s brown snake
- Experience: Beginner
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Storeria dekayi
- Other Names: Brown snake
- Adult Size: 8-15 inches (20.32-38.1 centimeters)
- Lifespan: ~7 years
- Average Price Range: $30
DeKay’s brown snakes (named after American zoologist James Ellsworth De Kay) are small brown, nonvenomous snakes that reside in a variety of habitats in southern Minnesota. They can be found in forests, savannas, prairies, and urban areas.
These guys can also make for a great pet. They feed largely on slugs, snails, and earthworms.
5. Eastern hognose snake
- Experience: Beginner to intermediate
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Heterodon platirhinos
- Other Names: Puff adder, hissing sand snake, blow snake, cobra
- Adult Size: 20-33 inches (50.8-83.82 centimeters)
- Lifespan: ~12 years
- Average Price Range: $130
The first of the two hognoses that live in Minnesota, the eastern hognose snake lives in sandy areas and woodlands throughout the eastern part of the state. Hence its name, this species has a pig-like nose that utilized for digging.
Coloration can range from yellow to gray with dark brown blotches. They feed solely on amphibians. The eastern hog nose will also put on a show that includes hissing or playing dead, however, they’re typically harmless.
6. Eastern milk snake
- Experience: Beginner
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum
- Other Names: N/A
- Adult Size: 24-36 inches (60.96-91.44 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Average Price Range: $60-$120
Eastern milk snakes have reddish brown, black, and creamy bands, which often gets them confused with the venomous coral snake. But if you’re in Minnesota, it’s definitely a milk snake as there are no coral snakes that live in the state.
They are usually found around forest edges but can also be found in savannas, pastures, and prairies. Milk snakes also love the crevices in between rocks. Their diet consists of rodents, lizards, and other snakes.
7. Gophersnake
- Experience: Intermediate
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Pituophis catenifer
- Other Names: Bullsnake
- Adult Size: 37-72 inches (93.98-182.88 centimeters)
- Lifespan: Up to 12 years
- Average Price Range: $200-$250
Gophersnakes are large, tri-patterned snakes that live sporadically in Minnesota. Considered a species in greatest conservation need, you probably won’t run into a gophersnake too often, but if you do, don’t confuse it for a rattlesnake.
Like a rattlesnake, the gophersnake will shake its tail, flatten its head, coil, strike, and hiss loudly when threatened. Gophersnakes prefer sandy areas but will also inhabit prairies, savannas, and pastures. They primarily eat rodents.
8. Lined snake
- Experience: Beginner
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Tropidoclonion lineatum
- Other Names: N/A
- Adult Size: 8-15 inches (20.32-38.1 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 3-10 years
- Average Price Range: N/A
The lined snake is a semi-fossorial snake that looks quite similar to a garter snake in the fact that they’re both brown or gray with a light stripe going down the back. The identifiable difference is a double row of spots on the belly of a lined snake.
Considered a species of special concern in Minnesota, this snake can rarely be found, but when it is, it’s in the southwest corner of the state. They exclusively eat earthworms.
9. Northern ring-necked snake
- Experience: Intermediate to expert
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Diadophis punctatus edwardsii
- Other Names: Corkscrew snake, thimble snake
- Adult Size: 10-15 inches (25.4-38.1 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
- Average Price Range: $30
Northern ring-necked snakes can be found on a multitude of hillsides on the northeast side of the state. Ring-necked snakes have a solid dorsal color with a yellow-orange underside. Another noticeable feature is the yellow-orange ring around the neck.
They eat insects, earthworms, slugs, snails, and lizards.
10. Plains garter snake
- Experience: Beginner
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Thamnophis radix
- Other Names: Grass snake, garden snake
- Adult Size: 16-28 inches (40.64-71.12 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 10 years
- Average Price Range: $25-$45
Plains garter snakes can be found in grasslands, prairies, and savannas across the state. This snake is often confused with both common garter snakes and lined snakes as it’s also dark brown or black with three light colored dorsal stripes.
They feed on frogs, toads, earthworms, and insects.
11. Plains hognose snake
- Experience: Beginner to intermediate
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Heterodon nasicus
- Other Names: Western hog nose, puff adder, hissing sand snake, blow snake, cobra
- Adult Size: 15-25 inches (38.1-63.5 centimeters)
- Lifespan: ~12 years
- Average Price Range: $130
The plains hognose snake is similar looking to the eastern hognose snake with the main exceptions being the plains hognose’s more upturned nose as well as its smaller size. They live in the state’s river floodplains and sand prairies.
Plains hognoses make for great pets once you get through the hissing stage. Overall, they’re virtually harmless. They subsist on toads, frogs, lizards, and small rodents.
12. Prairie ring-necked snake
- Experience: Intermediate to expert
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Diadophis punctatus arnyi
- Other Names: Corkscrew snake, thimble snake
- Adult Size: 10-15 inches (25.4-38.1 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
- Average Price Range: $30
The second of the two ring-necked subspecies, the prairie ring-necked snake looks exactly the same as the northern ring-necked snake. They also share a diet of insects, earthworms, slugs, snails, and lizards.
The only difference is that the prairie ring-necked snake is found in southeast Minnesota.
13. Red-bellied snake
- Experience: Intermediate
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Storeia occipitomaculata
- Other Names: Fire snake
- Adult Size: 8-10 inches (20.32-25.4 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 4 years
- Average Price Range: $60
The red-bellied snake looks similar to DeKay’s brown snake with the main difference being the color of their underside. As the name implies, red-bellied snakes have a reddish salmon belly while brown snakes have a cream-colored belly. Their dorsal color varies.
Red-bellied snakes are all over Minnesota, living mostly in woodland habitats. Their diet consists of slugs, earthworms, and snails.
14. Red milk snake
- Experience: Beginner
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Lampropeltis triangulum syspila
- Other Names: N/A
- Adult Size: 24-36 inches (60.96-91.44 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Average Price Range: $60-$120
A subspecies of Lampropeltis triangulum, the red milk snake looks exactly the same as the eastern milk snake. They’re technically considered synonymous by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
They have reddish brown, black, and creamy bands, live in a variety of habitats, and eat mostly small rodents and reptiles.
15. Smooth greensnake
- Experience: Intermediate to expert
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Liochlorophis vernalis
- Other Names: Grass snake
- Adult Size: 14-20 inches (35.56-50.8 centimeters)
- Lifespan: Up to 6 years
- Average Price Range: $50
The smooth green snake is entirely green with a yellow belly. These small snakes can be found in prairies, meadows, savannas, and woodlands all over the state. They eat worms, caterpillars, spiders, and grasshoppers.
16. Western foxsnake
- Experience: Intermediate
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Pantherophis ramspotti
- Other Names: Pine snake, copperhead
- Adult Size: 36-54 inches (91.44-137.16 centimeters)
- Lifespan: Up to 17 years
- Average Price Range: $170
The western fox snake lives in a variety of habitats (riversides, forests, prairies) across Minnesota. This species is normally light brown or yellow with a row of darker blotches going down the back and a creamy checkerboard belly.
17. Western ratsnake
- Experience: Intermediate
- Family: Colubridae
- Scientific Name: Pantherophis obsoletus
- Adult Size: 42-72 inches (106.68-182.88 centimeters)
- Lifespan: Up to 20 years
- Average Price Range: $80
Minnesota’s only ratsnake, the western ratsnake is a large, tree-dwelling snake. Their coloration consists of a black dorsal speckled with lighter colors. Sometimes, they have mid-dorsal blotches. The most identifiable feature is the white chin.
Western ratsnakes, in opposition to their name, live in oak forests in the southeast corner of the state. They feed primarily on rodents and birds.
Venomous Snakes in Minnesota
18. Massasauga
- Experience: Expert
- Family: Viperidae
- Scientific Name: Sistrurus catenatus
- Other Names: Swamp rattler
- Adult Size: 28-36 inches (71.12-91.44 centimeters)
- Lifespan: Up to 14 years
- Average Price Range: $100
It’s more than probable that you will never come across a massasauga rattlesnake in Minnesota as the species has not been documented in the state since before 1960. Say you do happen to come across one though, you’ll see that they’re gray or brown with darker blotches that form crossbands.
Make sure to take a picture and send it to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources if you think you’ve spotted a massasauga! This snake prefers moist habitats and feeds on rodents, smaller snakes, and frogs.
19. Timber rattlesnake
- Experience: Expert
- Family: Viperidae
- Scientific Name: Crotalus horridus
- Other Names: Banded rattlesnake
- Adult Size: 36-54 inches (91.44-137.16 centimeters)
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
- Average Price Range: N/A
Found only in the southeast corner of the state, timber rattlesnakes are highly poisonous creatures. These snakes are tannish gold with black V-shaped and M-shaped crossbands. They also have a brown stripe that goes down the back.
They feed only on small rodents and prefer to live in bluff prairies and oak forests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you own a snake in Minnesota?
Unless they’re endangered, there is no law in Minnesota that prohibits the ownership of a snake.
What venomous snakes live in Minnesota?
Technically, two venomous snakes live in Minnesota—the massasauga rattlesnake and the timber rattlesnake. However, the massasauga has not been officially documented in the state since before 1960. On the other hand, timber rattlesnake sightings happen a fair amount, but they are declining as the snake is now categorized as a species in greatest conservation need. Here’s how you can avoid and treat timber rattlesnake bites.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about the different snake species and subspecies that live in Minnesota, it’s time to get out there and do some herping. If you came to this article for pet advice, I hope you might consider a hognose or a brown snake. Maybe even a milk snake! Nevertheless, see you in the great outdoors!
Don’t forget to interact with other snake enthusiasts in the comment section below. Thanks for reading!
Snakes in other states