You’ve seen the posts. Someone shares a grainy smartphone photo on Facebook or Reddit, panicking because a "copperhead" is slithering near their porch. Within ten minutes, three neighbors have identified it as three different species. One says it’s a water moccasin, another swears it’s a garter snake, and the third is already grabbing a shovel. Honestly, looking at pictures of different types of snakes can be more confusing than helpful if you don't know what you're actually looking for. Colors fade. Patterns shift. Lighting plays tricks.
The reality of snake identification is a bit of a mess.
Snakes are masters of mimicry and variation. Even within a single species, two individuals can look like they belong to different families depending on their age, the time of year, or just plain old genetics. If you’re trying to distinguish a harmless North American rat snake from something that could put you in the hospital, you need to look past the surface-level "vibe" of the animal.
The Most Common Misidentifications in Pictures of Different Types of Snakes
Everyone thinks they know what a venomous snake looks like. Triangular head? Elliptical pupils? Rattles? Well, sort of. While these traits exist, they are often used as lazy shortcuts that lead to the unnecessary killing of beneficial, non-venomous species.
Take the "triangular head" rule. It’s one of the most dangerous myths in herpetology. Many non-venomous snakes, like the common Hognose or the Northern Water Snake, will intentionally flatten their heads when threatened to appear larger and more intimidating. If you’re just looking at pictures of different types of snakes to find that diamond shape, you’re going to mislabel a lot of harmless snakes as vipers.
The Great Copperhead Confusion
Copperheads (Agkistrodon contortrix) are perhaps the most frequently misidentified snakes in the United States. Their "Hershey’s Kiss" pattern is iconic, but it’s easily confused with the Eastern Milk Snake or even juvenile Black Racers.
The Milk Snake is a classic example of "Batesian mimicry." It has evolved to look somewhat like a venomous snake to scare off predators, even though it’s completely harmless and mostly eats rodents. When you see pictures of these two side-by-side, the Milk Snake has blotches that don't quite reach the belly, while the Copperhead’s bands wrap around the sides in a very specific hourglass shape. If the "kisses" are wider at the bottom than the top, you’re likely looking at a Copperhead.
Water Moccasins vs. Water Snakes
This is the big one. If a snake is in the water, people assume it’s a Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin).
It’s almost a reflex.
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But look at the posture. A Cottonmouth usually swims with its entire body corked up on the surface of the water, like a pool noodle. Harmless Nerodia water snakes typically swim with only their heads above the water, their bodies submerged. Also, look at the face. Cottonmouths have a dark "Zorro" mask stripe running through the eye. Water snakes have vertical black lines on their labial scales—basically, they look like they have "Stitch" mouth or vertical bars on their "lips."
Why Color is the Least Reliable Way to Identify Snakes
If you rely on color, you're going to get it wrong. Simple as that.
Snakes go through a process called ecdysis—shedding their skin. Right before they shed, their eyes turn a milky blue and their scales become dull and grayish. A bright green snake might look muddy brown for a week.
Then there’s polymorphism.
In some areas, you might find "melanistic" individuals. These are snakes that are born jet black, regardless of what their species "should" look like. I’ve seen pictures of different types of snakes where a Garter snake was completely black, lacking its signature yellow stripes. If you were looking for the stripes, you’d never guess what it was.
The Case of the "Blue" Garter Snake
In the Florida panhandle, there are populations of Common Garter Snakes that are strikingly blue. If you saw a picture of one without context, you might think it was an exotic pet that escaped from a terrarium. It isn't. It’s just a local color variant. This is why location matters more than almost any other factor when identifying a snake from a photo. If you see a snake in a picture and don't know where it was taken, your ID is basically a guess.
Understanding Habitat and Behavior
Snakes aren't just random objects in the grass; they are specialized hunters.
A snake’s "niche" tells you a lot about what it is. If you find a snake 15 feet up in an oak tree, it’s probably not a heavy-bodied rattlesnake. It’s almost certainly a Rat Snake. These guys are the parkour athletes of the reptile world. They have "keeled" scales—scales with a little ridge down the middle—that give them extra grip on bark.
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The "Kinked" Look
Rat snakes often rest in a weird, crinkled-up "S" shape. It makes them look like a piece of discarded rope or a crooked branch. Scientists think this breaks up their outline so predators don't see them. If you’re browsing pictures of different types of snakes and see one that looks like it’s had a bad day at the chiropractor, you’re likely looking at a member of the Pantherophis genus.
Venomous vs. Poisonous: The Perpetual Correction
Let’s get the terminology right because it actually matters for ID.
Snakes are rarely poisonous. They are venomous.
- Venomous: If it bites you, you get sick. (Injection)
- Poisonous: If you bite it, you get sick. (Ingestion)
There are a few exceptions, like the Rhabdophis "Tiger Keelback" in Asia, which is actually both. It sequesters toxins from the toads it eats and stores them in neck glands. But for 99% of the snakes you’ll see in pictures, "venomous" is the word you want.
The Ethics of Snake Photography
Taking pictures of different types of snakes is a great hobby, but it has a dark side.
"Herping"—the act of searching for reptiles—can be invasive. Some photographers "pose" snakes by chilling them in refrigerators or using pins to keep them still. This is cruel and often obvious in the photos; the snake looks lethargic or has an unnatural body position.
If you’re looking at a photo where the snake is perfectly coiled on a clean mossy log with no dirt or debris around it, be skeptical. Authentic field photography shows the animal in its element—under a piece of tin, tucked into a rock crevice, or moving through leaf litter.
Using Citizen Science Apps
If you have a photo and you're stumped, don't just trust a random Google Image search. Use tools like iNaturalist or the HerpMapper database. These platforms connect you with actual biologists and expert amateurs who use your photos for research. Your backyard snapshot of a DeKay’s Brownsnake might actually help scientists track species distribution in the face of climate change.
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Regional Breakdowns: What You’re Likely Seeing
Depending on where you live, your "standard" snakes will vary wildly.
In the American Southwest, you’re looking at a lot of Crotalus species—rattlesnakes. They are heavy, thick-bodied, and have that distinctive rattle. But wait! Bullsnakes and Gopher snakes in the same area will puff up and vibrate their tails against dry leaves to sound like a rattlesnake. It’s a bluff. In pictures of different types of snakes, you can tell them apart by the head; Bullsnakes have much narrower heads and lack the heat-sensing pits between the nostril and the eye.
In the Northeast, the most common "scary" snake is the Northern Water Snake. They are grumpy. They will bite if you grab them. But they aren't venomous. They are often dark brown or black with banding that is wider on the back than on the sides, the opposite of the Copperhead.
How to ID a Snake Safely
If you encounter a snake and want to take a picture, follow the "Rule of Two."
Stay at least two snake-lengths away.
Most snake bites happen when people try to kill or capture the animal. If you stay back and use your zoom lens, you’re 100% safe. Snakes don't "chase" people. That’s a myth fueled by low-budget horror movies and tall tales. A snake "charging" you is usually just a confused animal trying to get to a specific hiding hole that happens to be behind you.
What to Look for in a Photo for ID:
- The Scales: Are they shiny and smooth, or "keeled" (rough/ridged)?
- The Eyes: Round pupils usually (but not always) mean non-venomous in the US. Vertical "cat" pupils often indicate a pit viper.
- The Tail: Does it taper to a point, or is there a rattle/blunt end?
- The Labial Pits: Does it have holes along its "lips"? This indicates a python, boa, or pit viper.
- The Location: Be specific. "Eastern Texas" is better than "The Woods."
Actionable Next Steps for Enthusiasts
Stop relying on those "Red touch yellow, kill a fellow" rhymes. They only work for specific species in specific parts of the US and can be deadly wrong if applied to snakes in South America or even some mutated individuals in the States.
Instead, do this:
- Join a local ID group: Look for "Snake Identification" groups on social media that are moderated by experts (herpetologists).
- Buy a regional field guide: Digital pictures of different types of snakes are great, but a Peterson Field Guide or an Audubon book provides the technical drawings that highlight "diagnostic features" color photos often miss.
- Learn your locals: There are probably only 3-4 venomous species in your entire state. Learn them inside and out. If it doesn't match one of those, your heart rate can go back down.
- Focus on the "Scutes": If you really want to get nerdy, start looking at the scales on the underside of the tail. In many venomous species, those scales go all the way across in a single row, whereas non-venomous snakes often have a double row. (Don't flip a live snake over to check this—save it for clear photos or shed skins).
Identifying snakes is a skill that takes time. It’s about pattern recognition, not just matching colors. The next time you see a snake, take a breath, take a photo from a distance, and look for the details that the "neighbor with a shovel" usually misses.