Snakes in Illinois
25 snakes · 4 venomous · 4 mildly venomous · 17 non-venomous
Ranges are approximate. Snakes can turn up outside of them.
At a glance
25 of the 63 snakes on Learn2ID live in Illinois, part of the Midwest. 4 are venomous: Eastern Copperhead, Eastern Massasauga, Northern Cottonmouth and Timber Rattlesnake. Common Gartersnake, Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, Ring-necked Snake and Western Hog-nosed Snake have only a mild venom. The biggest group here is water snakes: 4 of the 25. 16 look-alike pairs here involve a venomous snake — see “Commonly confused” below.
Venomous snakes in Illinois
Commonly confused in Illinois
Banded WatersnakevsNorthern Watersnake›Common GartersnakevsDeKay's Brownsnake›Common GartersnakevsEastern Ribbonsnake›Common GartersnakevsWestern Ribbonsnake›DeKay's BrownsnakevsRed-bellied Snake›DeKay's BrownsnakevsRing-necked Snake›Diamond-backed WatersnakevsNorthern Watersnake›Eastern CopperheadvsDeKay's Brownsnake›Eastern CopperheadvsEastern Hog-nosed Snake›Eastern CopperheadvsEastern Milksnake›Eastern CopperheadvsNorthern Watersnake›Eastern CopperheadvsPrairie Kingsnake›Eastern Hog-nosed SnakevsWestern Hog-nosed Snake›Eastern MassasaugavsEastern Hog-nosed Snake›Eastern MassasaugavsEastern Milksnake›Eastern MassasaugavsNorthern Watersnake›Eastern MilksnakevsNorthern Watersnake›Eastern RibbonsnakevsWestern Ribbonsnake›GophersnakevsWestern Hog-nosed Snake›Gray RatsnakevsNorth American Racer›Great Plains RatsnakevsPrairie Kingsnake›Mud SnakevsPlain-bellied Watersnake›Mud SnakevsRing-necked Snake›Northern CottonmouthvsBanded Watersnake›Northern CottonmouthvsDiamond-backed Watersnake›Northern CottonmouthvsMud Snake›Northern CottonmouthvsNorthern Watersnake›Northern CottonmouthvsPlain-bellied Watersnake›Northern WatersnakevsPlain-bellied Watersnake›Red-bellied SnakevsRing-necked Snake›Timber RattlesnakevsEastern Milksnake›Timber RattlesnakevsGray Ratsnake›Timber RattlesnakevsNorthern Watersnake›
Mildly venomous snakes in Illinois
Non-venomous snakes in Illinois
Banded Watersnake
DeKay's Brownsnake
Diamond-backed Watersnake
Eastern Milksnake
Eastern Ribbonsnake
Gophersnake
Gray Ratsnake
Great Plains Ratsnake
Mud Snake
North American Racer
Northern Watersnake
Plain-bellied Watersnake
Prairie Kingsnake
Red-bellied Snake
Rough Greensnake
Speckled Kingsnake
Western Ribbonsnake
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Ranges are approximate and still being checked by experts. A snake can turn up outside its usual range.