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

Common Snake Species in Augusta

Eastern rat snake: The eastern rat snake is usually of two phases; black rat snakes and yellow rat snakes. The black rat snakes are typically black with dark blotches or faint traces of white between some scales, while the yellow rat snakes can be orange, yellow, or greenish with dark stripes running through their backs. These snakes can be found in a variety of habitats ranging from forests, rivers, swamps, to rocky hills and suburbs including barns and old buildings, and their large bodies will range from 36 to 60 inches in length, extremely large ones can reach up to 72 inches.



Gray rat snake: This is a medium-sized snake with a pale to dark gray base color and patterns of dark elongated blotches along its body. As rat snakes, they can grow to about 40 to 60 inches in length and they reside in varied habitats, from treetops to forests to swamps and buildings. Gray rat snakes are closely related to the eastern rat snakes and behave much alike.






Black racers: This is a fairly slim and moderately-sized snake with a solid black color. Racers are known to measure between 36 to 60 inches in length and they are sometimes mistaken for black rat snakes, but unlike rat snakes that freeze when approached, racers will flee rapidly. In Georgia, they are mainly found in forests, fields, and wetland edges.






Northern water snake: Northern water snakes are typically dark brown, gray, or tan with a series of rectangular botches that form alternating bands across their backs. These snakes get darker as they age, and their average size ranges from 24 to 55 inches with the females usually larger than the males. These snakes are mostly found in lakes, streams, ponds, and other water bodies.





Banded water snake: This is a close relative of the northern water snake with much similar coloration and patterns. Banded water snakes can be dark brown to black with a series of darker cross-bands alternating along their bodies. Their stout bodies will grow to about 24 to 48 inches in length and they often reside in ponds, lakes, streams, and other wet habitats.






Eastern kingsnake: These snakes are large with a smooth shiny black upper body and narrow rows of white or pale yellow chain-like bands across their backs. They are similar to black kingsnakes and measure 36 to 48 inches in length. Eastern kingsnakes or chain kingsnakes are found in a wide range of habitats throughout Georgia.






Eastern ribbon snake: Ribbon snakes are slender with dark bodies and bright yellow stripes running through their backs. These snakes are closely related to eastern garter snakes and they resemble each other. Ribbon snakes are semi-aquatic and will inhabit lakes, marshes, and wet woodlands. Their slender bodies measure between 16 and 28 inches.






Coachwhip: The slender coachwhip is one of the longest snakes in Georgia, measuring from 50 to 72 inches, some can reach up to 96 inches in length. Coachwhips have very distinct colorations, they can be gray, tan, or pinkish. Most coachwhips will have two colors that smoothly blend in halfway from the head and tail; a dark gray head that gradually lightens to pale tan or pink towards the tail. These snakes are found in pine forests, fields, sandhill scrubs, and open habitats with sandy soil.

Venomous Snake Species in Augusta

Copperhead: This is a medium-sized venomous snake with a light brown or gray background and dark-brown hourglass-shaped cross-bands across their backs. These snakes are common on rocky wooded hillsides, river edges, log piles, and open fields. On average, copperheads measure about 36 inches with a maximum length of 54 inches.






Cottonmouth or water moccasin: Cottonmouths are venomous water snakes with pale brown or olive-green base color and wide dark bands that alternatively run across their 40-inch-long stout bodies. Non-venomous water snakes like the banded water snake and northern water snake are often mistaken for the venomous water moccasin because of the slight resemblance. Cottonmouths are semi-aquatic and can be seen in dry habitats as well as aquatic habitats.




If you're unsure, you can email me a photo of the snake at info@augustasnakes.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 Augusta 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 Augusta, it's venomous snakes of Augusta. Poison is generally something you eat, and venom is injected into you. That said, dangerous snakes are very rare in Augusta. The few venomous snakes of Richmond County are rarely seen. But they are commonly misidentified, so learn about all the snake species of Augusta in order to correctly identify them. These snakes are usually also found in the surrounding towns of Blythe, Hephzibah, Fort Gordon, Grovetown, Harlem, Appling, Evans, Martinez, Edgefield SC, Johnston SC, Trenton SC, Aiken SC, New Ellenton SC, North Augusta SC, Burnettown SC, Jackson SC, Perry SC, Salley SC, Wagener SC, Windsor SC, Belvedere SC, Clearwater SC, Gloverville SC, Graniteville SC, Langley SC, Warrenville SC, and the surrounding areas.

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