‹ Compare two snakes
Eastern Ribbonsnake vs Western Ribbonsnake
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(c) Matt Pelikan, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Eastern Ribbonsnake
Thamnophis saurita
Non-venomous(c) Taylor Seybert, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Western Ribbonsnake
Thamnophis proximus
Non-venomousThe quick way to tell
Look at the top of the head. The Western Ribbonsnake usually has two bold pale spots there and a clean, unmarked belly. The Eastern Ribbonsnake has small or no spots on top of the head and a brownish tinge to the edges of its belly scales.
Head ★ This settles it
Small narrow head with a white or yellow bar just in front of the eye.
Black or dark head with an orange, yellow or white spot (often two joined pale spots) on top. The upper lip scales are plain white or pale green with no black bars. There is a pale spot in front of the eye.
Pattern
Three bright yellow stripes on dark brown or black, with no flecking between them.
Dark brown to black back with an orange or yellow stripe down the middle and a narrow yellow stripe low on each side (on the third and fourth rows of scales up from the belly). The belly is cream or light green with no markings.
Eyes
Round pupil, with a pale bar in front of the eye; no heat-sensing pit.
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Pits
None. There is no pit between the eye and the nostril.
None. There is no pit between the eye and the nostril.
Tail
Very long - about a third of its total length; no rattle.
Very long and thin, about a third of the total length.
What it does
Races across the water surface and into thick plants.
Quick and agile. When disturbed it dives into water or hides in plants along the bank. Often climbs into low shrubs. Groups may spend the winter together in crevices, burrows and rotten stumps.
Where it lives
Eastern North America: Nova Scotia, Maine and Ontario south through Florida, west to Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and the Mississippi River in Louisiana.
Central and south-central US from southern Wisconsin and Indiana south to Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi and west to eastern New Mexico (and at least historically southeastern Colorado); also eastern Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica.