Snakes are one such animal that is seen on every continent. As of now, more than 3,000 species of snakes are known to humans, however, most of them have a bad reputation. The fact is that snakes are very helpful to humans in many ways. It is believed that the snakes have lived on earth for the past 60 million years and were known as Titanoboa that can grow upto 50 feet long. Here is the list of 10 black and white snakes in the world.
Black And White Snakes In The World
1. Puget Sound Gartersnake
Puget Sound Gartersnake scientifically known as Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii and its geographic distribution is limited to Vancouver Island and the adjacent mainland coast in Canada and to Northwestern Washington. The snake species love to thrive in regions equipped with forests, wetlands, shrublands, wetlands, shorelines, fields, and rocky areas.
Puget Sound Gartersnake usually breed in the spring, after they emerge from hibernation and give birth to 5 to 40 young ones in the month of July or August. The size of young ones is between 13 to 23 cm in length and can mature in two or three years. The avarage lifespan of Puget Sound Gartersnake is more than 20 years in the wild.
Also Read: 10 Different Types Of Snakes In Utah
Image Source: Andrew Reding
2. Black Rat Snake
Black Rat Snake commonly known as black rat snake or pilot snake belongs to the family Colubridae. Talking about the appearance, the young ones are blotched black and gray, however, the adult ones are shiny black backs with light brown or gray undersides. The chin and throat are white in color. It is also listed as one of the black snakes with white stripes in the world.
The snake species can grow between 90 to 180 cm in length and the maximum reported length is 270 cm. The primary diet includes small mammals such as frogs, lizards, birds, and eggs. These are one of the longest snakes in North America and just like pythons and boas, they are also constrictors (suffocate their prey). The avarage lifespan of the Black Rat Snake is between 10 to 15 years in the wild.
Also Read: 10 Snakes That Eat Frogs
Image Source: Wikimedia
3. Eastern Ratsnake
The Eastern Ratsnake scientifically known as Pantherophis alleghaniensis is a nonvenomous colubrid snake species endemic to North America. It can grow between 90 to 180 cm and the exact population size is still unknown. Talking about its appearance, the adult species comes with shiny black dorsally along with a white chin and throat. The belly portion is an ad black and white checkerboard pattern and hence it is listed as a black and white snake in the world. The avarage lifespan of Eastern Ratsnake is upto 34 years in the wild.
Also Read: 21 Cutest Snakes In The World
Image Source: Shawn Taylor
4. Gray Ratsnake
The Gray rat snake is commonly known as the gray rat snake or oak snake and belongs to the family Colubridae. The snake can grow between 91.4 to 182.8 cm (36-72 in) in length and the maximum reported length is upto 213.9 cm (84.3 in). The primary diet includes small mammals such as frogs, lizards, birds, and eggs. The average lifespan of Gray Ratsnake is between 15 to 20 years in the wild. Gray Ratsnake saw in the regions of the Southeastern United States; north to southern Indiana and west to Louisiana.
Also Read: 10 Types of Purple Snakes In The World
Image Source: Wikimedia
5. California King Snake
The California kingsnake scientifically known as Lampropeltis California is a nonvenomous colubrid snake that belongs to the western United States and northern Mexico. The dietary habits are carnivorous in nature and feed on common food items including rodents, birds and their eggs, other reptiles, and amphibians. It is one of the most popular snakes in capacitive because of its ease of care and wide range of color variations. They are oviparous animals which mean they lay eggs and their breeding season begins in the spring.
Also Read: 16 Most Deadliest Snakes In The World
Image Source: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region
6. Long-Nosed Snake
The Long-nosed snake scientifically known as Rhinocheilus lecontei) is a nonvenomous snake that belongs to the family Colubridae. The snake’s species are endemic to North America and as of now, two subspecies are known to humans. The primary diet includes lizards, amphibians, and sometimes smaller snakes and rodents. The long-nosed snake can grow between 56 to 100 cm in length and its avarage lifespan is between 12 to 20 years in the wild.
Image Source: J N Stuart
7. Black Kingsnake
The Black Kingsnake is scientifically known as Lampropeltis nigra and is fairly common in the Fall Line Hills in northern Alabama. The snake species can grow to 58 inches in length and is seen in the regions of southern Ohio, western West Virginia, southeastern Illinois, and south to northeastern Mississippi. Talking about its appearance, it is one of the popular black and white snakes in the world because of its black body along with traces of yellow or white spots, or bands above, and has a white throat. The primary diet includes snakes, lizards, rodents, birds, and turtle eggs. The avarage lifespan of a Black Kingsnake is between 20 to 30 years in the wild.
Image Source: Wikipedia
8. Striped Whipsnake
The Striped whipsnake scientifically Masticophis taeniatus is a nonvenomous snake that belongs to the family Colubridae. The snake species is closely related to the California whipsnake and native to the region of the western United States and adjacent to northern Mexico. The adult snake species can grow between 30 to 72 inches in length and loves to thrive in the regions of shrublands, grasslands, sagebrush flats, canyons, piñon-juniper woodlands, and open pine-oak forests.
Also Read: Top 10 Black Snakes With Yellow Stripes In The World
Image Source: J Maurgn
9. Western Massasauga
Western Massasauga scientifically known as Sistrurus catenatus mostly seen in the region of North America from southern Ontario to northern Mexico and certain parts of the United States in between. The snake species can grow between 60 to 75 cm in length and the average weight is between 300 to 400 gms. The avarice lifespan of Western Massasauga is upto 18 years in the wild. The primary diet includes small vertebrates, including mammals, lizards, and other snakes, It is also seen feeding on centipedes.
Image Source: Wikimedia
10. Southern Black Racer
Southern Black Racer scientifically known as Coluber constrictor priapus and one of the popular black and white snakes that belong to the Southeastern United States. T can grow between 51 to 142 cm in length and prefers to stay underground, beneath piles of leaf litter, or in thickets, and they are expert swimmers. It is commonly known as a Black racer or North American racer and usually appears in black and white color. The primary diet includes rodents, frogs, toads, and lizards. The average lifespan of a Southern Black Racer is upto 10 years in the wild.
Image Source: Wikimedia
11. Bandy-Bandy
Bandy-Bandy is one of the black snakes with white stripes and is a venomous snake that belongs to the family Elapidae. It is also known as hoop snake where the word bandy comes from the indigenous dialect of Kattang, from the Taree region, New South Wales. As of now, 5 species of Bandy-Bandy snakes are known to humans and all of them are endemic to Australia. The snake species occupy a large variety of habitats from desert regions to wet rainforests.
12. Black-Tailed Rattlesnake
The Black-Tailed Rattlesnake scientific name Crotalus Molossus is a venomous Pit viper mostly seen in the United States of America and Mexico. As of now, 3 species of Black-Tailed Rattlesnake are recognized by humans. The body length of a Black-Tailed Rattlesnake is between 76 to 107 centimeters, where females are said to be larger than males. The other comes names of the same species are the “Green rattler”, the “Dog-faced rattlesnake”, and the “Mountain Diamondback”. The primary diet includes small mammals, birds, and small reptiles.
Image Source: Wikimedia
13. Common Kingsnake
The common Kingsnake is one of the black snakes with yellow stripes that comes with a shiny appearance hence the nickname “shiny shield” in Greek. The body of these snake species is thin and the head is of the same width or a little bit wider. The body length is between 20 to 28 cm long and the average weight is between 1361 to 2268 grams. These snake species are most common in North America, much of the southern United States, and in northern parts of Mexico.
Image Source: Wikipedia
14. Butler’s Wolf Snake
Butler’s Wolf Snake’s scientific name is Lycodon butleri is a snake species that belongs to the family Colubridae. The species is native to southern Thailand and peninsular Malaysia. It is named after British zoologist Arthur Lennox Butler (1873–1939) who was the Curator of the Selangor State Museum. The reproduction phenomenon is oviparous where they land eggs to reproduce.
Image Source: Pinterest
15. Laotian Wolf Snake
Laotian Wolf Snake’s scientific name is Lycodon laoensis and is a nonvenomous colubrid snake that is endemic to Asia. They are mostly seen in the geographic range of India, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, China (Yunnan), and West Malaysia. Talking about the appearance, it is dark brown in color along with whitish or yellowish crossbands on the occiput and crossbands across the body. These snake species are nocturnal and generally ground-dwelling.
Image Source: Gee
16. Gopher Snake
The Gopher Snake’s scientific name is Pituophis melanoleucus and also known as bull snake It can grow is to 9 feet (275 cm) in length, however, most of them are 4 feet (120 cm). They are one of the most widespread snakes in North America and their range extends from the Atlantic to Pacific oceans, as far north as southern Canada, and as far south as Veracruz and southern Sinaloa, Mexico, including Baja California. They are a constrictor and eat mostly on mammals and sometimes on birds and eggs are also eaten.
These are the 16 black and white snakes in the world. Kindly share and post your comments.
