Snakes in Rhode Island
Rhode Island has 10 snake species on record, each with at least 10 GBIF records in the state, and 200 licensed records in all. The most recorded are the common garter snake, the northern water snake and the DeKay's brown snake. None of the listed species is venomous. GBIF holds no venomous snake record for Rhode Island under any license, but the historic range of the timber rattlesnake includes Rhode Island, and sensitive species can be withheld from open records. Treat any snake that looks like a rattlesnake as venomous.
Water snakes and swamp snakes in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the northern water snake, with 65 records (33% of the state's snake records).
Most licensed records of the northern water snake in Rhode Island come from Providence County, Washington County and Kent County.
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes in Rhode Island
Garter snakes and ribbon snakes dominate the snake record of Rhode Island: two species and 39% of all records. The most recorded is the common garter snake (73), ahead of the eastern ribbonsnake (4).
Observation records of the common garter snake in Rhode Island run mostly April through October, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Washington County, Providence County and Newport County.
Rat snakes and corn snakes in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the eastern rat snake, with 1 record (0.5% of the state's snake records).
Kingsnakes and milksnakes in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the eastern milksnake, with 4 records (2% of the state's snake records).
Racers, whipsnakes and indigo snakes in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the eastern racer, with 4 records (2% of the state's snake records).
Hognose snakes in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the eastern hog-nosed snake, with 4 records (2% of the state's snake records).
Green snakes in Rhode Island
One species of this group is listed for Rhode Island: the smooth green snake, with 4 records (2% of the state's snake records).
Small woodland and burrowing snakes in Rhode Island
Small woodland and burrowing snakes: two species are listed for Rhode Island, with 39 records (20% of the state's snake records). The most recorded is the DeKay's brown snake (25), ahead of the ring-necked snake (14).
Where in Rhode Island are snakes recorded most?
Providence County dominates: 51% of the state's licensed snake records come from it alone, and the top five counties hold 100%. 5 of Rhode Island's 5 counties have at least one licensed snake record.
| # | County | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Providence County | 102 | 51.0% |
| 2 | Washington County | 39 | 19.5% |
| 3 | Newport County | 35 | 17.5% |
| 4 | Kent County | 17 | 8.5% |
| 5 | Bristol County | 7 | 3.5% |
When do snakes come out in Rhode Island?
Observation records of snakes in Rhode Island run mostly April through October, peaking in May with 23% of them. December through February together hold under 2% of the records, so snakes in Rhode Island are rarely recorded in winter. The sharpest rise comes from March to April.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 0% | 2% | 17% | 23% | 15% | 10% | 12% | 6% | 9% | 5% | 0% |
Snakes: Rhode Island compared with its neighbors
Rhode Island ranks 43rd of 50 states by the number of snake species listed; Texas leads with 86 species.
Every state bordering Rhode Island lists more snake species (Rhode Island: 10 species; Connecticut 14, Massachusetts 13).
What snakes are in Rhode Island? All 10 species
Ranked by licensed records in Rhode Island. Species with a profile page are linked.
| # | Species | Family | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | Colubridae | 73 | 36.5% |
| 2 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | Colubridae | 65 | 32.5% |
| 3 | DeKay's brown snake Storeria dekayi | Colubridae | 25 | 12.5% |
| 4 | Ring-necked snake Diadophis punctatus | Colubridae | 14 | 7.0% |
| 5 | Eastern hog-nosed snake Heterodon platirhinos | Colubridae | 4 | 2.0% |
| 6 | Eastern milksnake Lampropeltis triangulum | Colubridae | 4 | 2.0% |
| 7 | Eastern racer Coluber constrictor | Colubridae | 4 | 2.0% |
| 8 | Eastern ribbonsnake Thamnophis saurita | Colubridae | 4 | 2.0% |
| 9 | Smooth green snake Opheodrys vernalis | Colubridae | 4 | 2.0% |
| 10 | Eastern rat snake Pantherophis alleghaniensis | Colubridae | 1 | 0.5% |
Also recorded in Rhode Island, fewer than 10 times
Beyond the main list, one snake species is known from Rhode Island by only six 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.