Discover the Largest Queen Snake Ever Found

Queen snakes (Regina septemvittata) are semiaquatic snakes that live across North America. The moniker “queen snake” originates from the snake’s Latin scientific name, Regina septemvittata. Septemvittata means “seven stripes,” and Regina means “queen.” They’re also known by several other names — including the moon snake, olive snake, banded water snake, and the diamond-back water snake. However, they shouldn’t be confused with the true water snakes of the Nerodia genera, which include the diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer) and the banded water snake / southern water snake (Nerodia fasciata). One of the most notable differences between queen snakes and true water snakes is size, as queen snakes tend to be smaller. But how long do queen snakes actually get? Let’s find out!

The Largest Recorded Queen Snake

As mentioned, queen snakes tend to be smaller than some of the snakes in the Nerodia genus. However, they still typically reach 15 to 24 inches long, although females are often larger than males. Although this is their typical length, some queen snakes are a little longer, with a maximum reported length of 37 inches.

What Do Queen Snakes Look Like?

Queen snakes have a slender appearance, and most queen snakes are gray, olive green, or dark brown. They usually feature yellow or peach stripes from the first row of scales to the tip of the tail. Four darker stripes accompany these lighter stripes, giving queen snakes a similar appearance to garter snakes, another nonvenomous North American species.

The head of the queen snake is also slender, with nine major scales on top. They have a series of thicker scales underneath their chin, which protects them from rough surfaces as they slither between rocks.

Where Are Queen Snakes Found?

Queen snakes are native to North America, living east of the Mississippi River, from southern Ontario to northern Florida. As queen snakes are semi-aquatic, they’re rarely found far from water. They prefer to inhabit areas with fresh running water, such as streams or rivers, and particularly areas with rocky bottoms and an abundance of crayfish.

Queen snakes are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day. Therefore, they may also be observed lying on large rocks near the water, among tree roots, or even in tree branches, while they bask in the sun. If disturbed, they will quickly return to the water for safety.

Queen snakes brumate behind bridges, large boulders, urban structures, and other elevated, dry habitats during the winter.

What Do Queen Snakes Eat?

Queen snakes primarily feed on crayfish, with a preference for recently molted crayfish. Sometimes, the prey becomes the predator, as crayfish will occasionally prey on juvenile queen snakes. At the same time, adult queen snakes face threats from predators such as herons, otters, hawks, mink, and raccoons.

Are Queen Snakes Dangerous?

Queen snakes are not venomous and, given their relatively small size, pose little to no threat to humans. They rarely bite if they are disturbed, preferring instead to quickly flee back to the water. However, they may also exude a foul smell if they are picked up or handled.

Queen snakes are considered to be beneficial to the environment as they help to manage populations of crayfish. Crayfish account for around 90% of the queen snake’s diet, and as a result, the queen snakes help to prevent the crayfish populations from becoming too large.

Other Record-Breaking Snakes

If you’re interested in discovering some other record-breaking snakes, then you might be interested in the flathead snake. Flathead snakes can reach seven to eight inches long and are considered the fifth smallest snake in the world, following the Barbados thread snake, the Brahminy blind snake, the variegated snail eater, and the Texas blind snake. Even though they are often confused with earthworms, their salmon-pink bellies can help differentiate them from the latter.

Regrettably, there is no authoritative data available concerning the largest flathead snake discovered to date. Nonetheless, the longest flathead snake recorded in Kansas was 9.606 inches, collected by Charles E. Burt in Cowley County between 1938 and 1941. Although there are no other existing records, this particular specimen might well be the biggest flathead snake in the world, given that it is considerably longer than the typical snake of this species.