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10 Black Snakes Found in Alabama (Pictures)

If you live in Alabama, you’ve probably seen snakes in your neighborhood or while walking outside. And if you’ve ever seen a black snake in Alabama, you’ve probably wondered what kind it was.

With approximately 40 species in the state, only a few of them are predominantly black in color, making it likely that you’ll be able to identify them once you’ve finished reading this article, as we’ll discuss some of the snakes with black coloration you’ll find in Alabama.

Collage photo of black snakes in Alabama

10 Black snakes in Alabama

1. Western pygmy rattlesnake

Western pygmy rattlesnake coiled
Western pygmy rattlesnake coiled | image by Peter Paplanus via Flickr | CC BY 2.0
  • Scientific Name: Sistrurus miliarius streckeri
  • Length: 14 to 30 inches
  • Venomous: Yes

A Pygmy Rattlesnake is a small, venomous snake that can grow to be 14 to 30 inches long. This species is distinguished by its light to dark gray coloring, which includes large blotches of black in a row alternated with reddish-brown hues. They’re one of the state’s venomous snakes and can be found in the extreme western portion of central Alabama.

This species can be found in a variety of habitats, including sandhills, forests, and flatwoods, as well as near ponds and lakes. Despite their small size, pygmy rattlesnakes can deliver a painful bite. Their bites, however, aren’t fatal to humans or pets.

2. Mud snakes

Mud snake
A mud snake | image by Bree McGhee via Flickr | CC BY 2.0
  • Scientific Name: Farancia abacura
  • Length: 40 to 54 inches
  • Venomous: No

Mud Snakes are a species that can be found throughout Alabama’s Coastal Plains. These animals are also referred to as “hoop snakes” due to the popular belief that these reptiles will bite their own tails in order to roll on people.

Mud snakes are mostly aquatic and can be found in slow-moving streams like ponds and swamps, where they bury themselves in mud. This non-venomous animal is distinguished by its glossy black back and black and red belly. Their reddish patterns can also be seen on their sides.

3. Eastern coral snake

Eastern coral snake on white container
An eastern coral snake on white container | image by Norman.benton via Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Scientific Name: Micrurus fulvius
  • Length: 20 to 30 inches
  • Venomous: Yes

Eastern coral snakes are another venomous snake species found in Alabama. Though they’re becoming increasingly rare throughout the state, they can still be found primarily in Alabama’s coastal plains. These snakes are typically 20 to 30 inches long and can be identified by their wide red and black rings with small yellow rings in between.

These coral snakes have a highly toxic neurotoxin that they use to kill prey. It’s best to avoid approaching them when you see one because this can be harmful to people as well.

4. Black racer

Black racer coiled in grass
A black racer coiled in grass | credit: Everglades National Park
  • Scientific Name: Coluber constrictor
  • Length: 36 to 60 inches
  • Venomous: No

Black racers are common throughout Alabama, with the northern subspecies primarily found in the state’s northeastern counties and the southern subspecies found throughout the rest of the state. They typically inhabit areas, such as forest and swamp edges, hedgerows, thickets, and old fields.

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As their names suggest, these species are mostly black in color, with lighter undersides. On the other hand, juveniles have a lighter hue and reddish-brown blotches on their backs that gradually fade as they grow older.

5.  Black pine snake

Black pine snake
Black pine snake | image by Roy Cohutta-Brown via Wikimedia Common | CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Scientific Name: Pituophis melanoleucus lodingi
  • Length: 48–90 inches
  • Venomous: No

The Black Pine Snake is a large, nonvenomous snake found in Alabama. These snakes range in length from 48 to 90 inches, have a darker coloring ranging from dark brown to black, and some even have a few white scales or patterns.

These pine snakes are typically found in southwest Alabama, particularly in the counties of Mobile, Clarke, and Washington counties. They inhabit longleaf pine forests with sandy, well-managed soils, as well as ridges and hilltops with open canopies, where they spend the majority of their time underground.

6. Northern ringneck snake

Northern ringneck snake on the ground
A northern ringneck snake on the ground | image by Cody Hough via Wikimedia Commons | CC BY-SA 3.0
  • Scientific Name: Diadophis punctatus edwardsii
  • Length: 10 to 15 inches
  • Venomous: No

Northern ring-necked snakes are small, non-venomous snakes found in Alabama. They can be found in a wide range of habitats, but they appear to prefer moist, forested, and wooded areas with plenty of ground cover. You can also find these animals in moist, humid basements.

They’re only 10 to 15 inches long and are bluish-grey to black in color, with a distinct small yellow or orange ring around their neck. Northern ring-necked snakes usually swallow their prey whole, but they may occasionally use partial constriction. These reptiles primarily consume insects, worms, small snakes, and amphibians.

7. Black kingsnakes

Eastern black kingsnake on flowering plant
Eastern black kingsnake on flowering plant | image by smashtonlee05 via Flickr | CC BY 2.0
  • Scientific Name: Lampropeltis getula nigrita
  • Length: 35 to 48 inches
  • Venomous: No

The Black Kingsnake is a non-venomous constrictor snake found in the Fall Line Hills of Northern Alabama as well as the Alabama river watershed. They’re among the most commonly encountered snakes by humans and can be found in pine forests, swamps, farmsteads, urban areas, and near water areas such as stream banks.

Their bodies are predominantly black with yellow or cream speckles. Black kingsnakes are active all day, feeding on rodents, birds, and venomous snakes such as cottonmouths and rattlesnakes.

8. Cottonmouth

Coiled cottonmouth snake
Coiled cottonmouth snake | image by smashtonlee05 via Flickr | CC BY 2.0
  • Scientific Name: Agkistrodon piscivorus
  • Length: 26 to 35 inches
  • Venomous: Yes

In the United States, the cottonmouth is the most common venomous snake. It’s also one of the most feared, despite the fact that it’s not aggressive and only bites humans when provoked. These snakes are found throughout Alabama, but are most common in the state’s central and southern regions.

They prefer shallow and slow-moving water habitats such as creeks, ponds, lakes, and marshes. As adults, these snakes are mostly black with gray, brown, or yellowish-olive patterns on their backs.

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9. Eastern coachwhip

Eastern coachwhip
Eastern coachwhip | image by Peter Paplanus via Flickr | CC BY 2.0
  • Scientific Name: Masticophis flagellum flagellum
  • Length: 50 to 72 inches
  • Venomous: No

The Eastern Coachwhip snake is a lovely, slender reptile that can grow to be up to 72 inches long. Being non-venomous, it simply grabs its prey and eats them whole and alive rather than injecting its prey with venom or constricting them.

These snakes prefer dry, open grassy woodlands, weedy fields, and burned-out pine habitats. The coloration of the Eastern Coachwhip snake is probably one of the most interesting you’ll see, as it’s black from head to neck and gradually lightens to tan as it approaches the tail.

10. Black speckled kingsnake

Black speckled kingsnake
Black speckled kingsnake | image by smashtonlee05 via Flickr | CC BY 2.0
  • Scientific Name: Lampropeltis holbrooki
  • Length: 48 in
  • Venomous: No

Despite its rarity, the black-speckled kingsnake is one of the black snakes that can be found in Alabama. They’re medium-sized snakes that can grow to be 48 inches long, with the longest recorded length for this species being 72 inches.

The Black Speckled Kingsnake prefers moister areas like those near rivers and swamps, though it’ll also frequent grassy places and wooded areas. These snakes have dark brown to black bodies with small yellowish-white speckles, which is why they’re also known as the salt-and-pepper snake.