12 Brown Snakes In Indiana (4 Are Venomous)

Located in the Midwestern region of the U.S. and spanning a vast 36,418 square miles, Indiana forms part of the Great Lakes region. Given its size and diverse ecosystems, there is little surprise that the state is home to many animals — both large and small. Indiana is home to 32 species of snakes, including four that are venomous. Although snakes can be of many different colors and various patterns, there are many brown snakes in Indiana. So, let’s discover several species and where you might find them!

1. Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi)

We’ll begin with one of the largest snakes in the state — the bullsnake. Bullsnakes are a gopher snake subspecies and can reach lengths of up to 8 feet long. They have heavy bodies, which are typically a yellowish color and overlaid with large dark brown blotches. Bullsnakes mainly live in sand prairies, and, in Indiana, they only inhabit the northwest region of the state. These large snakes are powerful and kill by constriction. Their diet consists of small mammals such as rodents, birds, and lizards. They also often eat birds’ eggs which they obtain by ascending trees and raiding nests. Bullsnakes are highly defensive snakes. When threatened, they raise their head and neck off the ground to make themselves look as large as possible. While doing so, they lunge, hiss, and retreat backward.

2. Southeastern Crowned Snake (Tantilla coronata)

One of the smallest and most secretive snakes in the state is the southeastern crowned snake, which is 8 to 10 inches long. These snakes mainly live in forests and on rocky hillsides where there is plenty of cover for them to hide beneath. However, in Indiana, they only occur in Clark and Floyd counties. Southeastern crowned snakes have fairly uniform brown bodies with a black neck and head. There is also a paler band that divides the black head and neck band.

3. Prairie Kingsnake (Lampropeltis calligaster)

The next brown snake in Indiana is the prairie kingsnake, or the yellow-bellied kingsnake. Prairie kingsnakes are 30 to 40 inches long and have light brown bodies with dark and reddish-brown blotches. They mainly inhabit the eastern and southeastern regions and prefer open grassland regions where there is plenty of loose soil. However, they do sometimes live at the edge of forests. Prairie kingsnakes mainly prey on rodents, although they sometimes also consume lizards, frogs, and other snakes. They are not venomous. However, if a threat is present, they often mimic rattlesnakes by vibrating their tail in the leaf litter.

4. Eastern Fox Snake (Pantherophis vulpinus)

Occurring mainly in the northwestern regions of the state, the eastern fox snake inhabits grasslands, prairies, fields, and wetlands. Eastern fox snakes prey on birds and rodents and kill by constriction. They are not venomous, but like the kingsnake, they mimic rattlesnakes by vibrating their tail. Eastern fox snakes are approximately 48 inches long and have yellowish to tan, brown bodies, with large dark, blotchy overlays. They also have weakly keeled dorsal scales.

5. Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)

One of several aquatic snakes in the state is the northern water snake, which locals sometimes mistake for the venomous cottonmouth. Northern water snakes are large and can reach around 56 inches long. They have dark brown bodies with a series of darker crossband markings, although they can sometimes appear to be almost black. Northern water snakes are also known as the common water snake and are distributed across Indiana. They live in most freshwater habitats and prey on frogs, toads, fish, and salamanders. These snakes are aggressive when disturbed and they will readily bite. Although they are not venomous, their saliva has a slight anti-coagulant in it. This prevents the blood from clotting, resulting in wounds that bleed a lot.

6. Queen Snake (Regina septemvittata)

The next brown snake in Indiana is the queen snake. Queen snakes have a brown body with a tan belly featuring four dark stripes. They also have three darker stripes running along their back, although these are only usually visible when they are very young. Queen snakes are semi-aquatic and mostly live in and around rocky streams. They have adapted to the rough terrain in their habitat by developing thickened scales on the top of their heads and underneath their chins. These scales protect them when they are chasing their prey amongst the rocks. Queen snakes are most abundant in the central and southeastern regions of the state and occur in scattered locations in the northern region. However, they are almost entirely absent from the southwest.

7. Dekay’s Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)

Another small snake is Dekay’s brown snake, which attains lengths of only 9 to 13 inches. These snakes are brown with a faint stripe down their back and two rows of darker spots on either side of the line. Dekay’s brown snakes live in a variety of habitats across the majority of Indiana, including forest edges, fields, and wetlands. Due to their small size, they prey mainly on small, soft-bodied animals such as slugs and earthworms.

8. Diamond-Backed Water Snake (Nerodia rhombifer)

The next water snake on this list is the diamond-backed water snake, which — as its name suggests — has a series of diamond-shaped markings along its back. Diamond-backed water snakes are around 30 to 48 inches long and have brown bodies with darker markings. They prefer slow areas of freshwater, including streams and oxbow lakes. However, they only inhabit the southwestern region of the state, near to the Ohio and Wabash Rivers. Like the northern water snake, these snakes are sometimes mistaken for the cottonmouth. They will bite in defense, though these snakes flatten their neck and hiss at the threat before striking out.

9. Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus)

Now we move on to the venomous brown snakes in Indiana! The first is the timber rattlesnake. Timber rattlesnakes are large snakes with a length of around 60 inches. They have brown bodies with dark brown to black crossbands. However, they can sometimes appear to be almost black as there is also a “black phase” color morph, whereby they have very dark bodies with black crossbands. Timber rattlesnakes are a state endangered species. They occur only in the south-central region of the state where they live mainly in thick forest regions. Due to their long fangs and high venom yield they are one of the most dangerous snakes in North America.

10. Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix)

From the most dangerous, we move onto the copperhead, which has relatively weak venom by comparison. Copperheads are typically 24 to 36 inches long. They are light brown with dark brown crossbands that form hourglass patterns. Copperheads live in the southern half of the state in dry forest regions and on high hillsides. They have a varied diet and prey on a range of birds, lizards, rodents, and amphibians. Copperheads are also mainly active during the warm summer nights, which is why people label them secretive animals.

11. Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus)

The only semi-aquatic venomous snake in the state is the cottonmouth, which lives in virtually any freshwater habitat. They are a state endangered snake and are restricted to only a small region in Dubois County. However, there have not been any sightings of these snakes for many years. As such, it is not known whether the population still exists or not. Cottonmouths usually reach lengths of between 30 and 43 inches and have dark brown bodies and darker brown to black crossbands. They possess cytotoxic venom. Although not often fatal, this toxin seriously damages tissue, which can lead to a need for the amputation of a limb.

12. Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus)

The final venomous snake is the eastern massasauga rattlesnake, which is 24 to 30 inches long. Massasaugas have grey to tan colored bodies. They are covered with large black or brown spots along the center of their back and three rows of smaller spots down each side. Eastern massasaugas are a federally threatened species. They occur only in scattered locations in the northernmost region of Indiana — mainly in swamps and wetlands. Like the cottonmouth, the eastern massasauga possesses cytotoxic venom. However, they are fairly shy snakes and tend to avoid confrontation if they can.

Summary of 12 Brown Snakes in Indiana