Rattlesnake Species By State

Quick Take

• One state holds more rattlesnake species than anywhere else in the country, and the number may shock you.
• Four states have zero rattlesnakes, though one of them used to have them and lost them entirely.
• Some states you'd never suspect as snake country harbor venomous rattlers, with just one species standing between residents and a rattlesnake-free state.
• The timber rattlesnake is so widespread that it's even a state's official reptile. Can you guess which one?

Rattlesnakes comprise approximately 37 species of venomous pit vipers (subfamily Crotalinae) native to the Americas. The United States is home to between 17 and 21 species (depending on taxonomic classification) of rattlesnakes with a wide geographic distribution. Rattlesnakes are found in 46 US states, absent only from Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, and Rhode Island. The majority of rattlesnake species are found in the desert Southwest, which provides the ideal climate and rocky terrain for these dangerous reptiles. Continue reading to discover the number of rattlesnake species present in each of the 50 United States.

Alabama: 3

Alabama is home to three rattler species:

• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
• Pygmy
• Timber Rattlesnake

Alaska: 0

Alaska has no rattlesnakes. In fact, Alaska has no snake species.

Arizona: 15

With up to 15 species, Arizona has more types of rattlesnakes than any other state. They are:

• Arizona black rattlesnake
• Arizona ridge-nosed
• Banded rock rattlesnake
• Desert massasauga rattlesnake
• Grand Canyon rattlesnake
• Great Basin rattlesnake
• Midget Faded Rattlesnake
• Mojave desert rattlesnake
• Northern black-tailed
• Prairie rattlesnake
• Sidewinder rattlesnake
• Southwestern speckled
• Tiger rattlesnake
• Twin-spotted rattlesnake
• Western diamondback rattlesnake

Arkansas: 2

• Timber rattlesnake
• Western diamondback rattlesnake

California: 12

California’s native rattlesnakes are the:

• Colorado desert sidewinder rattlesnake
• Great basin rattlesnake
• Mojave Desert rattlesnake
• Mojave green rattlesnake
• Northern Mojave rattlesnake
• Northern Pacific rattlesnake
• Panamint rattlesnake
• Red diamond rattlesnake
• Southern Pacific rattlesnake
• Southwestern speckled rattlesnake
• Sidewinder rattlesnake
• Western diamondback rattlesnake

Colorado: 3

• Midget-faced rattlesnake
• Prairie rattlesnake
• Western massasauga rattlesnake

Connecticut: 1

The state’s only rattler is the timber rattlesnake, which is considered endangered in the state.

Delaware: 1

The timber rattlesnake is the only rattlesnake in Delaware.

Florida: 3

Florida has many snakes, but only three of its species are rattlesnakes:

• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Georgia: 3

• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Hawaii: 0

Hawaii has no rattlesnakes.

Idaho: 2

• Pacific rattlesnake
• Prairie rattlesnake

Illinois: 2

• Massasauga rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Indiana: 2

• Eastern massasauga rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Iowa: 3

• Eastern massasauga rattlesnake
• Prairie rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Kansas: 4

• Prairie rattlesnake
• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake
• Western diamondback rattlesnake

Kentucky: 2

The state has more than 30 snake species, but only two are rattlesnakes:

• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Louisiana: 3

Of Louisiana’s three rattlesnake species, the canebrake is the most common and the most dangerous. Canebrake rattlesnakes typically grow 3 to 5 feet long, with the largest on record exceeding 6 feet, and are extremely venomous.

• Canebrake rattlesnake
• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
• Pygmy rattlesnake

Maine: 0

Maine once had timber rattlesnakes, but it no longer does.

Maryland: 1

Along with the copperhead, the timber rattlesnake is one of only two Maryland snakes whose venom is dangerous to humans.

Massachusetts: 1

The timber rattlesnake is the only rattlesnake in the state. It is classified as endangered in Massachusetts.

Michigan: 1

The Eastern massasauga rattlesnake is not only Michigan’s only rattlesnake species, but it’s also Michigan’s only venomous snake.

Minnesota: 1

• Timber rattlesnake

Mississippi: 3

• Canebrake rattlesnake
• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
• Pygmy rattlesnake

Missouri: 3

• Eastern massasauga rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake
• Western pygmy rattlesnake

Montana: 1

The Western rattlesnake or prairie rattlesnake is the only venomous snake in Montana.

Nebraska: 3

• Prairie rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake
• Western massasauga rattlesnake

Nevada: 5

• Great Basin rattlesnake
• Mojave Desert rattlesnake
• Sidewinder rattlesnake
• Speckled Southwestern rattlesnake
• Western diamondback rattlesnake

New Hampshire: 1

• Timber rattlesnake

New Jersey: 1

• Timber rattlesnake

New Mexico: 7

• Animas ridge-nosed rattlesnake
• Banded rock rattlesnake
• Mojave Desert rattlesnake
• Mottled rock rattlesnake
• Northern black-tailed rattlesnake
• Prairie rattlesnake
• Western diamondback rattlesnake

New York: 2

• Massasauga rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

North Carolina: 3

• Eastern diamondback rattlesnake
• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

North Dakota: 1

• Prairie rattlesnake

Ohio: 2

• Massasauga rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Oklahoma: 3

• Prairie rattlesnake
• Western massasauga rattlesnake
• Western pygmy rattlesnake

Oregon: 3

• Great Basin rattlesnake
• Northern Pacific rattlesnake
• Western rattlesnake

Pennsylvania: 2

• Eastern massasauga rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Rhode Island: 0

There are no rattlesnakes in Rhode Island.

South Carolina: 2

• Canebrake rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

South Dakota: 1

• Prairie rattlesnake

Tennessee: 2

• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Texas: 9

With its vast land area and diverse ecosystems, it is no surprise that Texas hosts a wide variety of rattlesnakes. Its nine are:

• Banded rock rattlesnake
• Blacktail rattlesnake
• Desert massasauga rattlesnake
• Mojave Desert rattlesnake
• Mottled rock rattlesnake
• Prairie rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake
• Western massasauga rattlesnake

Utah: 6

Utah has six of them are rattlesnakes. Utah’s six rattlesnake species include the Hopi rattlesnake, which was traditionally considered a subspecies of the prairie rattlesnake. However, genetic studies classify it as a dwarf, localized color variant of the prairie rattlesnake rather than a separate subspecies.

• Great Basin rattlesnake
• Hopi (prairie) rattlesnake
• Midget-faced rattlesnake
• Mojave Desert rattlesnake
• Mojave Desert sidewinder rattlesnake
• Speckled Southwestern rattlesnake

Vermont: 1

The timber rattlesnake is the state’s only venomous snake and is critically endangered. It is listed as a Species of Greatest Conservation Need in the state’s Wildlife Action Plan.

Virginia: 1

Along with the cottonmouth and copperhead, the timber rattlesnake is one of three venomous snakes native to Virginia.

Washington: 1

The only rattlesnake in this state is the western rattlesnake.

West Virginia: 1

The timber rattlesnake is West Virginia’s official state reptile. It is listed as a species deserving special protection under state law.

Wisconsin: 2

• Eastern massasauga rattlesnake
• Timber rattlesnake

Wyoming: 2

Wyoming’s two rattler species are the state’s only venomous snakes:

• Midget-faced rattlesnake
• Prairie rattlesnake