First, the native snakes in the United States fit into one of five different families: Boidae (Boas) Colurbridae (Colubrid) Crotalidae (Pit Vipers) Leptotyphlopidae (Blind Snakes) Elapidae (Coral Snakes) Most people will cross paths with Colubrid snakes for the simple fact that they are the largest family of snakes in terms of number of species.

Quick ID - What's That Snake? - OPLIN. This Quick I.D. is a way to learn what kind of snake it is that you have. Even if you only see a snake in the wild and you can't get a close look, this Quick I.D. may help you. On each of the screens that follow you will see a pair of choices.

1. Gray Ratsnake ( Pantherophis spiloides) This lanky species is the longest and most common snake in Ohio. It can be up to 7 feet long, but they are usually between 4-6 feet long. It was formerly lumped with 3 other similar-looking ratsnake species that were collectively called the “Black Ratsnake”, Elaphe obsoleta.

Species that have melanistic individuals include the Northern red-bellied snake, the Eastern Hog-nosed snake, the Queensnake, and the Timber Rattlesnake. And up around Lake Erie, there is a melanistic variety of the Eastern Garter Snake like the one pictured below.

The presence of a rattle is the telltale field identification clue. The remainder of the approximately two dozen Ohio snakes fit into a single family commonly called Colubrids. They host most of the species will well known names such as garter snakes, rat snakes and water snakes.