Identification Keys to Texas Snakes
Poisonous Texas Snakes

Fifteen of the 72 species of snakes native to Texas (i.e., 21% of the total species represented)  are poisonous and thus are considered to pose a danger to man. These 15 species are grouped into two families and four genera:

     FAMILY ELAPIDAE (In Texas, only the Coral Snake): 

          Genus Micrurus (New World coral snakes):

               Texas Coral Snake (M. fulvius tener)   [Photos Needed!]

     FAMILY VIPERIDAE (Pit Vipers): 

         Genus Agkistrodon (moccasins):

               Southern copperhead (A. contortrix contortrix)   [Photos Needed!]

               Broad-banded copperhead (A. contortrix laticinctus)   [Photos Needed!]

               Trans-Pecos copperhead (A. contortrix pictigaster)  [Photos Needed!]

               Western cottonmouth (A. piscivorus leucostoma)   [Photos Needed!]

          Genus Crotalus (rattlesnakes): 

               Western diamond-backed rattlesnake (C. atrox)   [Photos Needed!]

               Canebrake rattlesnake (C. horridus atricaudatus)   [Photos Needed!]

               Mottled rock rattlesnake (C. lepidus lepidus)   [Photos Needed!]

               Banded rock rattlesnake (C. lepidus klauberi)   [Photos Needed!]

               Northern black-tailed rattlesnake (C. molossus  molossus) [Photos Needed!]

               Mojave rattlesnake (C. scutulatus scutulatus)   [Photos Needed!]

               Prairie rattlesnake (C. viridis viridis)   [Photos Needed!]

          Genus Sistrurus (rattlesnakes):

               Desert massasauga (S. catenatus edwardsi)   [Photos Needed!]

               Western massasauga (S. catenatus tergeminus)   [Photos Needed!]

               Western pygmy rattlesnake (S. miliarius streckeri)   [Photos Needed!]

Note: I need photos of these snakes to post on www.bugsinthenews.com. E-mail your digital images to me at jcates@austin.rr.com. 

 Texas Snakes ... Bugsinthenews