Quick answer: the six most stunning snakes with orange and reddish colors, from sixth place to first, are the gray-banded kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna), the black swamp snake (Seminatrix pygaea), the ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus), the ground snake (Sonora semiannulata), the scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea) and the African bush viper (Atheris squamigera). The viper takes first place for its range of colors and its serious venom.
- Dangerous to people: only the African bush viper. The other five are harmless.
- Where the orange shows up: in bands, on the belly, in a neck ring or in color variants, not across the whole body.
- Only one is African. The other five live in North America.
- Color says nothing about venom: there are harmless and seriously venomous snakes with orange tones.
Say orange snakes and most people picture a corn snake. Nature has stranger candidates. None of the six species on this list is orange from head to tail. What they share is that orange or reddish-orange appears somewhere hard to miss: a pattern of bands, a belly the snake flashes when threatened, a ring around the neck, or a color form that only some individuals carry.
The ranking weighs two things: how striking the snake looks, and how much it can teach us about biology. That is why a small swamp dweller competes here with a venomous viper. Every fact comes from journal articles, museum databases and medical reports, and the sources are listed at the end. Where the science is still unsettled, we say so.
Orange snakes at a glance
| Rank | Snake | Scientific name | Where orange or red appears | Range | Danger to people |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Gray-banded kingsnake | Lampropeltis alterna | Reddish or orange bands in part of the population | Chihuahuan Desert (southern US, northern Mexico) | Nonvenomous |
| 5 | Black swamp snake | Seminatrix pygaea | Bright red belly | Southeastern US | Nonvenomous |
| 4 | Ring-necked snake | Diadophis punctatus | Yellow-orange neck ring, vivid underside | North America | Harmless to people |
| 3 | Ground snake | Sonora semiannulata | Morphs with red stripes or bands | Southern and central US, northern Mexico | Nonvenomous |
| 2 | Scarlet snake | Cemophora coccinea | Red blotches edged in black | Southeastern and eastern US | Nonvenomous |
| 1 | African bush viper | Atheris squamigera | Orange, reddish and yellow color variants | West and Central Africa | Venomous, bites can be severe |
6. Gray-banded kingsnake (Lampropeltis alterna) Nonvenomous
Among kingsnakes, this is one of the most sought after by hobbyists, and it is easy to see why. Gray and black bands cross its body, and in some individuals reddish or orange bands join them. It lives in the Chihuahuan Desert: far southeastern New Mexico, the Trans-Pecos region of Texas and northern Mexico, usually in rocky scrub, especially on limestone. It is secretive and active at night, so seeing one in the wild takes luck.
Two forms that look like two species
Herpetologists describe two extreme forms, alterna and blairi, joined by a continuous gradient. The first dominates in the drier west of the range and the second in the wetter east. The difference follows geography. It does not mean they are separate species.
Three lineages and one separate population
A 2019 genomic study in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution found three lineages tied to the Trans-Pecos and Mapimian regions, plus a distinct population in the Sierra Madre Occidental. The split most likely happened during the Pleistocene. The authors suggest that different parts of the desert acted as refuges during the climate swings of the Quaternary.
Like many of its relatives, it is a constrictor with no venom. If you are curious about kingsnakes that hunt other snakes, read our article on snakes that eat other snakes.
5. Black swamp snake (Seminatrix pygaea) Nonvenomous
It is small, up to about 55 cm (22 inches), glossy black on top, with a bright red belly that you almost never see because the snake lives in the water. It inhabits freshwater wetlands of the coastal plain in the southeastern United States and is among the most aquatic snakes in the region.
Waiting out the drought
Its best-known trick came to light at Ellenton Bay in South Carolina, a wetland of roughly 10 hectares that dried up completely between 2000 and 2003. Other water snakes left or disappeared. Black swamp snakes stayed inside the dry wetland and aestivated, a dormant state similar to hibernation but during dry spells. After the drought they reproduced about as often and as productively as before.
More numerous than you would guess
In an isolated wetland in South Carolina, a mark-recapture estimate came out at more than 60 adult snakes per hectare. The authors concluded that in such wetlands the species plays an important role as both predator and prey.
4. Ring-necked snake (Diadophis punctatus) Harmless
This slender, dark gray to blackish snake wears a yellow to yellow-orange ring around its neck. It ranges across much of North America and has a showy defense: when harassed, it curls its tail upward and flashes a bright red underside, which can confuse a predator.
A snake with toxic saliva
It is a rear-fanged colubrid with Duvernoy's glands. An Oregon State University experiment showed that its oral secretions are toxic to prey, and earlier work found phospholipase A2 activity, an enzyme common in viper and cobra venoms. Scientists still debate whether these secretions should be called venom. To a person, the snake is tiny and harmless.
Life in groups
According to the Center for North American Herpetology, in eastern Kansas it is not unusual to find twenty or more ring-necked snakes under a single rock in April and May, and field studies there estimated densities of up to 1,603 snakes per hectare. They eat mostly earthworms, along with slugs, small salamanders, frogs, lizards and other snakes. The species varies a lot, and several subspecies are recognized that differ in color, diet and behavior.
3. Ground snake (Sonora semiannulata) Nonvenomous
If someone told you two of these snakes belonged to different species, you would believe them. A single population can contain up to four morphs: a uniform one, one with red longitudinal stripes, one with dark bands, and one with red and black rings that resembles a coral snake. It is still one species.
Many colors, one genetic group
A 2014 genetic study found no genetic divergence among the color morphs, at either regional or local scales. In other words, color varies enormously but does not split populations into separate genetic groups. Other work noted that only one of the four morphs actually mimics coral snakes.
A hunter of small invertebrates
It is a small snake that lives under rocks, plant debris and loose sand. Its diet is mostly arthropods such as spiders, centipedes, crickets and insect larvae. If you want to see how mimics really differ from dangerous species, our guide to false cobras and false vipers will help.
2. Scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea) Nonvenomous
Adults measure about 36 to 51 cm (14 to 20 inches). The ground color is grayish white, marked with long red blotches edged in black, and the head is red with a light band behind the eyes. It lives half underground in the southeastern United States, so it is rarely seen. It is harmless to people and seldom bites, though it can release a foul-smelling musk.
The coral snake lookalike
It resembles venomous coral snakes, and the most common explanation is Batesian mimicry: a harmless animal copying a dangerous one. One caveat matters here. The Florida Museum of Natural History notes that this idea has not yet been tested with field studies. A 2017 analysis of four coral snake mimics found that the precision of the resemblance changes with geography, and does so differently in each species.
A reptile egg specialist
Its diet centers on reptile eggs. Long, sharp rear teeth let it slit open large eggs, and small ones are swallowed whole. Reports of clutch size disagree: most sources give 2 to 9 eggs, while the Florida Museum says females in that state typically lay 12 or 13. It is a good reminder that even a fairly common snake still has gaps in its natural history.
1. African bush viper (Atheris squamigera) Venomous
It earns first place because it combines the showiest and the most serious traits on the list. It is also called the variable bush viper, and the name fits: its color runs from green through yellow, orange and reddish to black, and can change over a lifetime. It is not simply a green snake. It usually measures 46 to 60 cm, some individuals exceed 78 cm, and a prehensile tail helps it grip branches.
The forests of West and Central Africa
It lives in humid forests from Ivory Coast and Ghana to Uganda and western Kenya, and prefers low, dense bushes over tall tree crowns. It gives birth to live young. It is the only snake on the list that is not North American, and the only one capable of causing serious poisoning.
A venom that worries doctors
A 2022 medical review reports that the most severe bites cause low platelet counts, clotting disorders, hemolysis, hemorrhage and kidney failure. Deaths have been described but are poorly documented. In addition, there is no antivenom specific to this species. In several cases antivenoms made for other vipers were tried and appeared helpful, and the authors stress that the best treatment is still unknown. Well-documented cases are few, and in one of them the bite was milder than earlier reports.
To compare it with other dangerous relatives, see our ranking of the most dangerous vipers in the world and our list of the most venomous snakes in the world.
What to do if you see an orange snake
Orange tells you nothing about venom. The harmless ring-necked snake and the dangerous bush viper can both show similar tones, so one rule applies to all of them.
- Keep your distance and do not try to catch, step on or kill the snake.
- Back away slowly and leave it a clear path to escape.
- Call animal control or a wildlife service if it is inside a home or in a busy place.
- If someone is bitten, keep the person calm, keep the limb still and call emergency services right away.
To learn what snakes do before they strike, read our guide to snake warning signs, and if the terms confuse you, the difference between a snake, a viper and a cobra clears it up. You can also read the previous list of the most stunning yellow snakes, and find out what a cat snake is.
Frequently asked questions about orange snakes
What is the most stunning orange snake?
In this ranking it is the African bush viper (Atheris squamigera), for its wide range of colors, orange included, and its serious venom.
Are orange snakes venomous?
Not necessarily. Of the six on this list, only the African bush viper is dangerous to people. The ring-necked snake has secretions that are toxic to its prey, but it is harmless to humans.
Are there completely orange snakes?
Yes, some captive-bred forms and individual animals of highly variable species look that way. In the six species covered here, orange or reddish-orange covers only part of the body or appears only in some individuals.
How can you tell a scarlet snake from a coral snake?
Color alone is not enough, and the safest approach is to stay away from both. The scarlet snake is harmless while coral snakes are venomous, so when in doubt leave the snake alone and ask an expert.
Which snake survives drought?
The black swamp snake (Seminatrix pygaea). In a South Carolina wetland that dried up from 2000 to 2003, these snakes stayed inside and aestivated.
Is there an antivenom for the African bush viper?
There is no antivenom specific to Atheris squamigera. Antivenoms for other vipers have been used in some cases, and hospital care is essential after any bite.
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