Snakes in Oregon
Oregon has 16 snake species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 7,585 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the northwestern garter snake, the common garter snake and the western terrestrial garter snake. One of them is venomous.
Rattlesnakes in Oregon
One species of this group is listed for Oregon: the western rattlesnake, with 171 records (2% of the state's snake records).
Observation records of the western rattlesnake in Oregon run mostly May through August, peaking in July; most licensed records come from Harney County, Malheur County and Crook County.
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes in Oregon
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes dominate the snake record of Oregon: five species and 84% of all records. The most recorded is the northwestern garter snake (2,344), ahead of the common garter snake (1,935).
Observation records of the northwestern garter snake in Oregon run mostly March through October, peaking in April; most licensed records come from Tillamook County, Lincoln County and Clackamas County. Observation records of the common garter snake in Oregon run through most of the year, peaking in March; most licensed records come from Yamhill County, Columbia County and Lincoln County. Observation records of the western terrestrial garter snake in Oregon run mostly May through September, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Jackson County, Klamath County and Washington County.
Kingsnakes and milksnakes in Oregon
Kingsnakes and milksnakes are a small part of the snake record here: two species with 0.3% of records between them. The most recorded is the California mountain kingsnake (14), ahead of the California kingsnake (10).
Racers, whipsnakes and indigo snakes in Oregon
Racers, whipsnakes and indigo snakes: two species are listed for Oregon, with 236 records (3% of the state's snake records). The most recorded is the eastern racer (214), ahead of the striped whipsnake (22).
Observation records of the eastern racer in Oregon run mostly April through October, peaking in June; most licensed records come from Lane County, Benton County and Wasco County.
Gopher snakes, bullsnakes and pine snakes in Oregon
One species of this group is listed for Oregon: the gopher snake, with 325 records (4% of the state's snake records).
Observation records of the gopher snake in Oregon run mostly May through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Lane County, Harney County and Benton County.
Small woodland and burrowing snakes in Oregon
Small woodland and burrowing snakes are a small part of the snake record here: four species with 2% of records between them. The most recorded is the ring-necked snake (82), ahead of the sharp-tailed snake (39).
Most licensed records of the ring-necked snake in Oregon come from Lane County, Douglas County and Benton County. Most licensed records of the sharp-tailed snake in Oregon come from Benton County, Jackson County and Douglas County.
Boas and pythons in Oregon
One species of this group is listed for Oregon: the northern rubber boa, with 270 records (4% of the state's snake records).
Observation records of the northern rubber boa in Oregon run mostly March through September, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Benton County, Columbia County and Lane County.
Where in Oregon are snakes recorded most?
Jackson County leads with 1,202 records (16%), followed by Klamath County and Tillamook County; the top five counties hold 46% of the total. 36 of Oregon's 36 counties have at least one licensed snake record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson County | 1,202 | 15.8% |
| 2 | Klamath County | 631 | 8.3% |
| 3 | Tillamook County | 626 | 8.3% |
| 4 | Lincoln County | 531 | 7.0% |
| 5 | Yamhill County | 495 | 6.5% |
| 6 | Columbia County | 450 | 5.9% |
| 7 | Lane County | 405 | 5.3% |
| 8 | Curry County | 365 | 4.8% |
| 9 | Benton County | 308 | 4.1% |
| 10 | Clackamas County | 291 | 3.8% |
| 11 | Multnomah County | 255 | 3.4% |
| 12 | Washington County | 225 | 3.0% |
When do snakes come out in Oregon?
Observation records of snakes in Oregon run mostly February through October, peaking in May with 15% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 9% of the records. The sharpest rise comes from February to March.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | 5% | 10% | 12% | 15% | 14% | 12% | 12% | 8% | 6% | 1% | 1% |
Snakes: Oregon compared with its neighbors
Oregon ranks 33rd of 50 states by the number of snake species listed, level with South Dakota and Wisconsin; Texas leads with 86 species.
Of the four states bordering Oregon, California and Nevada list more snake species (Oregon: 16 species; California 46, Nevada 27, Idaho 11, Washington 11).
What snakes are in Oregon? All 16 species
Ranked by licensed records in Oregon. Species with a profile page are linked.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern garter snake Thamnophis ordinoides | Colubridae | 2,344 | 30.9% |
| 2 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | Colubridae | 1,935 | 25.5% |
| 3 | Western terrestrial garter snake Thamnophis elegans | Colubridae | 1,814 | 23.9% |
| 4 | Gopher snake Pituophis catenifer | Colubridae | 325 | 4.3% |
| 5 | Northern rubber boa Charina bottae | Boidae | 270 | 3.6% |
| 6 | Aquatic garter snake Thamnophis atratus | Colubridae | 268 | 3.5% |
| 7 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | Colubridae | 214 | 2.8% |
| 8 | Western rattlesnake venomous Crotalus oreganus | Viperidae | 171 | 2.3% |
| 9 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | Colubridae | 82 | 1.1% |
| 10 | Sharp-tailed snake Contia tenuis | Colubridae | 39 | 0.5% |
| 11 | Striped whipsnake Masticophis taeniatus | Colubridae | 22 | 0.3% |
| 12 | Western aquatic garter snake Thamnophis couchii | Colubridae | 19 | 0.3% |
| 13 | California mountain kingsnake Lampropeltis zonata | Colubridae | 14 | 0.2% |
| 14 | California kingsnake Lampropeltis californiae | Colubridae | 10 | 0.1% |
| 15 | Desert nightsnake Hypsiglena chlorophaea | Colubridae | 10 | 0.1% |
| 16 | Forest sharp-tailed snake Contia longicauda | Colubridae | 9 | 0.1% |
Also recorded in Oregon, fewer than 10 times
Beyond the main list, one snake species is known from Oregon by only eight records of any license. It may be a genuine rarity at the edge of its range, or a stray, a released pet or an old misidentification, so treat it as unconfirmed.
Related pages
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.