Field Guide

Reptiles and Amphibians

Showing 1 - 7 of 7 results
Photo of a northern scarletsnake on a rock surface in Georgia.
Northern Scarletsnake
Cemophora coccinea copei
One of Missouri's most brilliantly colored snakes is also extremely rare to find. The northern scarletsnake is similar in pattern and color to the more common red milksnake but has a red or orange snout and a spotless, white belly.
Image of a red milksnake
Eastern Milksnake
Lampropeltis triangulum
The harmless eastern milksnake is white, yellow, or light tan, with red or orange blotches bordered with black. The belly is white and strongly checked with black. This species often is misidentified as the venomous coralsnake, which is not found in Missouri.
Eastern gartersnake
Eastern Gartersnake and Red-Sided Gartersnake
Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis (eastern gartersnake) and T. s. parietalis (red-sided gartersnake)
The eastern gartersnake and red-sided gartersnake are Missouri's most common gartersnakes. The color is variable, but there are normally three yellowish stripes, one down the back and one on each side. There are narrow black bars between the scales along the upper lip.
eastern coachwhip
Eastern Coachwhip
Coluber flagellum flagellum
The eastern coachwhip is a long, slender, nonvenomous snake that usually escapes in an explosive burst of speed. In Missouri, it occurs in the Ozark and Ozark border regions.
Photo of a western ratsnake curled up in grasses under a fence.
Western Ratsnake
Pantherophis obsoletus
The western ratsnake, a glossy black snake, is one of Missouri’s largest and most familiar snakes. Its size and dark color make it seem imposing, but it is as harmless to humans as it is bad news for rodents.
Photo of an eastern hog-nosed snake.
Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake
Heterodon platirhinos
The eastern hog-nosed snake is a nonvenomous snake that is highly variable in color and pattern. It has an upturned snout and can hiss loudly and spread its neck like a cobra. If this defense fails, the snake may thrash around, open its mouth, roll over, and play dead.
Kirtland's snake curled and resting on a dry, sandy substrate
Kirtland's Snake
Clonophis kirtlandii
Kirtland’s snake is extremely rare and occurs in only a few states in the Midwest. It lives in crayfish burrows in grassland habitats that are damp and near a stream or wetland. It is restricted in Missouri to a few northeastern counties.
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About Reptiles and Amphibians in Missouri

Missouri’s herptiles comprise 43 amphibians and 75 reptiles. Amphibians, including salamanders, toads, and frogs, are vertebrate animals that spend at least part of their life cycle in water. They usually have moist skin, lack scales or claws, and are ectothermal (cold-blooded), so they do not produce their own body heat the way birds and mammals do. Reptiles, including turtles, lizards, and snakes, are also vertebrates, and most are ectothermal, but unlike amphibians, reptiles have dry skin with scales, the ones with legs have claws, and they do not have to live part of their lives in water.