There are 54 species of snakes in New Mexico! You can also download a print-friendly version.
Harmless Snakes
- Glossy Snake (Arizona elegans)
- Trans-Pecos Ratsnake (Bogertophis subocularis)
- Sonoran Whipsnake (Coluber bilineatus)
- North American Racer (Coluber constrictor)
- Coachwhip (Coluber flagellum)
- Striped Whipsnake (Coluber taeniatus)
- Ring-Necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) 1
- Chihuahuan Hook-Nosed Snake (Gyalopion canum)
- Mexican Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon kennerlyi) 1
- Plains Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon nasicus) 1
- Eastern Hog-Nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) 1
- Desert Nightsnake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea) 1
- Chihuahuan Nightsnake (Hypsiglena jani) 1
- Gray-Banded Kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna) 3
- California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae)
- Western Milksnake (Lampropeltis gentilis)
- Madrean Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis knoblochi)
- Arizona Mountain Kingsnake (Lampropeltis pyromelana)
- Desert Kingsnake (Lampropeltis splendida)
- Plain-Bellied Watersnake (Nerodia erythrogaster) 3
- Smooth Greensnake (Opheodrys vernalis)
- Great Plains Ratsnake (Pantherophis emoryi)
- Gophersnake (Pituophis catenifer)
- New Mexico Threadsnake (Rena dissecta)
- Western Threadsnake (Rena humilis)
- Long-Nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei)
- Eastern Patch-Nosed Snake (Salvadora grahamiae)
- Western Patch-Nosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis)
- Green Ratsnake (Senticolis triaspis) 4
- Western Groundsnake (Sonora semiannulata)
- Smith’s Black-Headed Snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi) 1
- Plains Black-Headed Snake (Tantilla nigriceps) 1
- Yaqui Black-Headed Snake (Tantilla yaquia) 1
- Black-Necked Gartersnake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis)
- Terrestrial Gartersnake (Thamnophis elegans)
- Mexican Gartersnake (Thamnophis eques) 2,3
- Checkered Gartersnake (Thamnophis marcianus)
- Western Ribbonsnake (Thamnophis proximus) 4
- Plains Gartersnake (Thamnophis radix)
- Narrow-Headed Gartersnake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus) 2,3
- Common Gartersnake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
- Sonoran Lyresnake (Trimorphodon lambda) 1
- Texas Lyresnake (Trimorphodon vilkinsonii) 1
- Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)
Venomous Snakes
- Western Diamond-Backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox)
- Arizona Black Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus)
- Rock Rattlesnake (Crotalus lepidus) 4
- Western Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus)
- Eastern Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus ornatus)
- Mohave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)
- Prairie Rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)
- Ridge-Nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi) 2, 3
- Western Massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus)
- Sonoran Coralsnake (Micruroides euryxanthus)
Notes
- Mildly venomous (not medically significant)
- United States Status: Threatened
- New Mexico Status: Endangered
- New Mexico Status: Threatened
References & More Information
Charles W. Painter, James N. Stuart, J. Tomasz Giermakowski, and Leland J. S. Pierce. 2017. Checklist of the Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico, USA, with Notes on Taxonomy, Status, and Distribution. Western Wildlife 4:29–60.
Funding for the production of this material was provided in part by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish’s Share with Wildlife program.