Common Snake Species in Sterling Heights

Butler's Garter Snake: Appearance: Butler's garter snake is a small brown, olive, or black snake that grows to a maximum of 27 inches long. It has three yellow bands along the back and a yellow belly. Habitat: This snake species lives in marshes, moist meadows, empty urban lots, and lake edges. Their favorite diet is earthworms, though they also feed on salamanders and leeches. Behavior: Butler's garter snake is reclusive. But, during hibernation, it occupies the same dens as other snake species.



Black Rat Snake: Appearance: The black rat snake is a glossy, large, and black species with a white throat and a white chin. Their juveniles have dull spots, just like some adults. This snake species grows up to 36-96 inches long. Habitat: A rat snake will often be found in rocky outcrops and barns in farmlands. It feeds on rodents, birds, and frogs. Behavior: This snake exhibits diurnal behavior where it forages or basks out in the sun. However, they are alert at night in warm places.



Kirtland's Snake: Appearance: This snake is a small red-brown snake with black patches along the back. It has a red or pink belly with blotches and a black head. A full-grown adult measures 12-18 inches long. Habitat: Kirtland's snake occupies vacant lots, open swampy woodlands, and damp meadows. Behavior: This snake species is a fossorial, nocturnal yet secretive organism. Most times, it remains under objects like debris and rarely basks out.




Ring-necked Snake: Appearance: A fully-grown ring-necked snake is 20-24 inches long. It's gray to black with glossy scales and a yellow stripe at the neck. Also, the belly is yellow or red with black spots. Habitat: Ring-necked snakes occupy moist areas, especially woodlands like under barks and logs. They feed on baby snakes, slugs, and earthworms. Behavior: Ring-necked snakes are den makers and return to them yearly. They are nocturnal, though they may spend day time basking in the sun on rocks.

Venomous Snake Species in Sterling Heights

Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake: Appearance: Brown to light-gray, the massasauga rattler is a heavy-bodied snake that measures 24 to 36 inches. The body color has dark-brown rectangular blotches. Habitat: They are found in wetlands, including wet prairies, shrub swamps, moist grasslands, and bogs. Their primary diet consists of rodents, though they also eat voles and other snakes. Behavior: It's a "lazy" and "shy" species. It's also a solitary creature; it hides alone in burrows. Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes are nocturnal during the hot summers and diurnal in autumn and spring.