Snakes in Kentucky

Kentucky has about 30+ snake species, and only 4 of them are venomous. That is a small fraction, so almost every snake you encounter in the state is harmless and useful for keeping rodents in check. Kentucky sits at the northern edge of several southeastern species' ranges, which keeps its list shorter than states deeper in the South while still offering good variety.

The diversity follows the state's geography. The Appalachian mountains and Cumberland Plateau in the east hold forest and rocky-slope species, the central bluegrass region adds woodland and field snakes, and the western lowlands toward the Mississippi River bring bottomland forest, swamps, and wetlands. Limestone caves, river bluffs, farmland, and the many creeks and lakes all create habitat that different snakes use.

Kentucky's venomous snakes are few and group simply. The Eastern Copperhead is the most common and widespread, a pit viper of wooded hillsides, rocky areas, and brushy edges across the state. The Timber Rattlesnake is the other broadly distributed pit viper, found in forests and on rocky ridges. The Northern Cottonmouth and the small Pygmy Rattlesnake are both restricted to the far western wetlands of the state, near the Mississippi River bottoms, and are not found elsewhere in Kentucky. The state has no coral snake, so there is no banded elapid to learn here.

The snakes residents see most are harmless. Black racers and rat snakes are common around homes, barns, and woods, kingsnakes are valued because they hunt and eat other snakes, and garter snakes are a familiar garden sight. Northern watersnakes patrol creeks, ponds, and lakes statewide and are constantly mistaken for cottonmouths, even in the many areas where cottonmouths do not occur. On safety, the honest fact is that most bites happen when people try to handle or kill a snake, and deaths are very rare thanks to antivenom and medical care. Never handle a wild snake, and if a bite occurs, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or 911.