Snakes

Non-venomous gopher snakes, like all snake species, help maintain a healthy ecosystem

NPS Photo / VIP C DeKalb

 

Garter snake (non-venomous) peering out from a juniper

NPS Photo

All snakes are protected in Colorado National Monument and should not be disturbed. Several species of snakes can be found in the monument. Most of our snake species fall into a family known as Colubridae. Colubrids form the largest family of snakes on earth. These colubrid snakes can occasionally be seen in the monument:

• Great Basin gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer deserticola)
  • These snakes are sometimes also referred to as bull snakes and are common throughout Colorado. They will sometimes mimic rattlesnakes by shaking their tail, but they are not venomous. They prey on small mammals, birds, and eggs.
• Utah milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum taylori)
  • These snakes are primarily nocturnal and have similar prey to other snakes in the area. They have red, yellow, and black stripes, making it look like the venomous coral snake, but don’t worry! Coral snakes don’t live in this region.
• Great Plains rat snake (Pantherophis emoryi)
  • This nonvenomous snake prefers rodents as its main food source but will also go after small birds, lizards, and frogs. It is also mostly nocturnal and prefers to move slowly, or not at all.
• Smith’s black-headed snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi)
  • This little snake grows to only 12 inches at the longest, making it the smallest snake on our list. Another nocturnal snake, this one preys on insects and other arthropods.
• Striped whipsnake (Masticophus taeniatus)
  • Like the gopher snake, this snake is most active during the day. It can move very quickly, which allows it to prey on a wide variety of species, many of the same ones as other snakes on our list. They’ll even go after other snakes!
• Mesa Verde night snake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala)
  • This snake is nocturnal, as its common name suggests. It has a toxin in its saliva that affects lizards, toads, and frogs, their primary prey. Don’t worry, it has no ill effects on mammals (including us!).
• Western terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans)
  • These snakes can occasionally be semi-aquatic, which might be why they’re not seen in in the monument very frequently. In addition to small mammals and lizards, like our other snakes, they also eat tadpoles, leeches, and the occasional fish.

 

Midget faded rattlesnake (venomous) awaiting prey

NPS Photo / VIP C DeKalb

One more snake rounds out our list, and it is the only venomous snake that can be found in Colorado National Monument. The midget faded rattlesnake (Crotalus concolor) is a member of the Viperidae family, shared with other rattlesnakes. They eat many small animals that can be found in the desert, including rodents, lizards, and toads. Like all the snakes found here, it is shy. It prefers not to have any contact with humans.

Remember, if you see a snake of any kind on the trail, give it space and don’t try to pick it up. Any wild animal might bite if it feels cornered and threatened or if you get too close. Be cautious stepping over things you cannot see the other side of, and don’t reach into small caves or crevices! These are the places that snakes like to call home. Like any reptile, our slithery friends will be happiest when they’re left alone.