Snakes in Iowa
21 snakes · 5 venomous · 4 mildly venomous · 12 non-venomous
Ranges are approximate. Snakes can turn up outside of them.
At a glance
21 of the 63 snakes on Learn2ID live in Iowa, part of the Midwest. 5 are venomous: Eastern Copperhead, Eastern Massasauga, Prairie Rattlesnake, Timber Rattlesnake and Western Massasauga. Common Gartersnake, Eastern Hog-nosed Snake, Ring-necked Snake and Western Hog-nosed Snake have only a mild venom. The biggest group here is rattlesnakes: 4 of the 21. 16 look-alike pairs here involve a venomous snake — see “Commonly confused” below.
Venomous snakes in Iowa
Commonly confused in Iowa
Common GartersnakevsDeKay's Brownsnake›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 MassasaugavsWestern Massasauga›Eastern MilksnakevsNorthern Watersnake›GophersnakevsWestern Hog-nosed Snake›North American RacervsWestern Ratsnake›Northern WatersnakevsPlain-bellied Watersnake›Prairie RattlesnakevsGophersnake›Prairie RattlesnakevsPrairie Kingsnake›Prairie RattlesnakevsWestern Hog-nosed Snake›Prairie RattlesnakevsWestern Massasauga›Red-bellied SnakevsRing-necked Snake›Timber RattlesnakevsEastern Milksnake›Timber RattlesnakevsNorthern Watersnake›Timber RattlesnakevsWestern Massasauga›
Mildly venomous snakes in Iowa
Non-venomous snakes in Iowa
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Ranges are approximate and still being checked by experts. A snake can turn up outside its usual range.