Snakes of Waterbury, CT

Waterbury snake

Welcome to waterburysnakes.com! I am David, a snake enthusiast living in Waterbury, CT. Many people don't know that Waterbury is in fact full of snakes! You just need to know where to find them - they can often be shy and elusive. Some Connecticut snake species are more common outside of the city limits, in different parts of New Haven County CT, but many types of snakes are indeed common in the more urban parts of Waterbury. This guide is meant to help educate you about the beautiful snakes of Waterbury, and to help you identify the most common snakes of Waterbury, as well as the venomous snakes of Waterbury that you should learn to recognize and avoid. If you want more detail, click here for my complete list of ALL snake species in Waterbury. Remember the following:

  • Most snakes of Waterbury are harmless and don't want to encounter you
  • Venomous snakes exist but are uncommon in Waterbury, Connecticut
  • Snakes eat rats and mice and are a valuable part of the Connecticut ecosystem
  • Never kill a snake - if you leave a snake alone, it will leave you alone.

Common Snake Species in Waterbury

Waterbury snake Rat snake: Rat snakes can vary from being averagely sized to large; average size is from 6-4 feet while large identifies as 10 feet. They are harmless snakes that contain no venom and hence, cannot poison any human being. There is no one generic appearance of the rat snake since they can vary extensively. Some can have a patterned body while others do not. Rat snakes can be black and white but can also be in shades of red, black, yellow, and gray. They also feature keeled scales which is quite a common feature amongst the snakes.



Waterbury snake Ringneck snake: Ringneck snakes are quite slender and small snakes i.e., 10-15 inches only. One-year-old ringneck snakes are only about 8 inches and grow 1-2 inches every year till they are fully grown. They are usually gray colored with a ring on the back of their neck. This band on the ringneck snake is usually yellow and orange. Male ringneck snakes are smaller than the female ones but their tales are, however, longer than those of female ringneck snakes. They are a fan of woods and can be easily spotted in woodland areas of Waterbury.


Waterbury snake Northern black racer: The northern black racer and the rat snake are the two largest snakes found in Waterbury. Northern black racers are decreasing in number due to the overwhelming development in many areas. They are fairly large snakes measuring from 33 to 65 inches. It has a dark black body with smooth scales which makes its skin have that "matte" finish look. It has a bluish belly. Since the northern black racer snake is so large-sized, you would expect its head to be prominently large, however, that is not the case as its head is only slightly wider than its body. It has large eyes and circular pupils. The young northern black racer snakes have dark brown blotches on their body which are in light shades of greyish brown. As the northern black racer becomes an adult, its body changes into a uniform dark black color.

Venomous Snake Species in Waterbury

Waterbury snake Timber rattlesnake: The timber rattlesnake is a venomous snake that is found in many places including Waterbury. They are very large snakes that can be seen in many colors. They are usually gray but can have shades of pink along with gray sometimes. They also have a stripe on their body that runs down their back. The stripe on the timber rattlesnake's body is usually either orange, pink, or yellow. Sometimes these snakes can also have dark-colored stripes such as brown or black. There are rattles at the end of the timber rattlesnake's tail made up of keratin. Whenever a timber rattlesnake finds itself in a threatening environment, it moves the rattles present in its tail which ends up making a crisp sound. This sound means that the rattlesnake will strike at any moment now. Although they are venomous, timber rattlesnakes do not strike as often as other snakes.

Waterbury snake Copperhead: Copperheads vary in size depending on the age of the snake. If the copperhead snake is young the size will be between 7-10 inches, however, if it is an adult it can be between 24-36 inches long. The size of copperhead snakes also varies according to gender; females grow much more in length as compared to males but have a shorter tail when compared to their male counterparts. The copperhead is also copper in color and has crossbands on its body. It also has a sensing heat pit located on each side of its head which aids the copperhead snakes in sensing when an external matter is warmer than the environment thus indicating a predator.

If you're unsure, you can email me a photo of the snake at info@waterburysnakes.com and I will email you back with the snake's species. If you found a snake skin, read my Found a Skin? page, and you can email me a photo of the skin, and I'll identify the snake for you. If you need professional Waterbury snake removal help, click my Get Help page, or see the below website sponsor I found, who provides that service.



Remember, the term is not poisonous snakes of Waterbury, it's venomous snakes of Waterbury. Poison is generally something you eat, and venom is injected into you. That said, dangerous snakes are very rare in Waterbury. The few venomous snakes of New Haven County are rarely seen. But they are commonly misidentified, so learn about all the snake species of Waterbury in order to correctly identify them. These snakes are usually also found in the surrounding towns of Hamden, Milford, Waterbury, Branford, Wallingford, Meriden, North Haven, Orange, Wolcott, East Haven, Cheshire, Guilford, Ansonia, Woodbridge, Madison, Naugatuck, Derby, Southbury, North Branford, Oxford, Seymour, Middlebury, Beacon Falls, Bethany, Prospect, and the surrounding areas.

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Understanding The Garter Snake: Appearance, Biology, Life Cycle, Habitat, Diet, Behavior

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