Quick answer: the most striking red snakes are not close relatives. This list includes a boa with a rainbow sheen, a venomous coral snake, and a harmless African species with five red stripes on a black back.
- No. 1: Brazilian rainbow boa (Epicrates cenchria), structural iridescence and up to 7 feet long.
- No. 2: red-sided garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis), over 50,000 gathering at one site in Manitoba.
- No. 3: variable coral snake (Micrurus diastema), the only species on the list with venom dangerous to people.
- No. 4: crowned false boa (Pseudoboa coronata), an Amazon lizard hunter.
- No. 5: red-black striped snake (Bothrophthalmus lineatus), harmless and found in Africa.
Red gets noticed on a snake, and not only by people. In the wild it can work as a warning, as camouflage in leaf litter, or simply as part of a pattern that stuck around over many generations. We picked five real species, all well documented by herpetologists. If you like color-themed lists, we also cover the most stunning orange snakes, the most impressive black snakes, the green snakes and the yellow snakes.
The 5 Red Snakes at a Glance
| Rank | Snake | Scientific name | Where it lives | Reproduction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brazilian rainbow boa | Epicrates cenchria | Amazon Basin, the Guianas, southern Venezuela | Live birth |
| 2 | Red-sided garter snake | Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis | Canada and the northern U.S. | Live birth |
| 3 | Variable coral snake | Micrurus diastema | Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras | Lays eggs |
| 4 | Crowned false boa | Pseudoboa coronata | Amazon and northern South America | Lays eggs |
| 5 | Red-black striped snake | Bothrophthalmus lineatus | West and Central Africa | About 5 eggs per clutch |
5. Red-Black Striped Snake Harmless
Bothrophthalmus lineatus belongs to the family Lamprophiidae and is easy to recognize: a black body crossed lengthwise by five red stripes. It lives across West and Central Africa, with records from Guinea to Angola, and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.
You find it in forests and forest patches, usually between 2,300 and 7,500 feet (700 to 2,300 meters) and often near water. It is a ground-dwelling, nocturnal snake. By day it hides in burrows, leaf litter or under rotting logs, and at night it hunts shrews and mice.
It poses no danger to people, although it may bite fiercely if handled. A female lays about five eggs per clutch. One taxonomic note: the snakes from Cameroon and Gabon are now treated as a separate species, Bothrophthalmus brunneus.
4. Crowned False Boa Active day and night
Pseudoboa coronata is not a true boa, as the name hints. It sits in the family Dipsadidae, though many older sources still list it under Colubridae. Its range runs from central Brazil across the whole Amazon Basin to coastal Venezuela, with records in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
It is a medium-sized snake. The largest measured individual had a body length of about 3.6 feet (1.09 meters), not counting the tail. It lives in forest and has been seen active by day and by night. Its diet is mostly lizards, with small mammals and an occasional snake. It lays eggs.
One neat detail from the scientific literature: a captured specimen thrashed and wrapped its coils around the handler, the way constricting snakes do. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.
3. Variable Coral Snake Venomous
Micrurus diastema is the only snake in this ranking with venom dangerous to people. It belongs to the family Elapidae, the same group as cobras, and has fixed fangs at the front of the mouth. The venom is neurotoxic, so any bite needs immediate medical care. For more on dangerous species, see our list of the most venomous snakes in the world.
It lives in southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, in wet, moist and dry tropical forest from sea level to roughly 4,100 feet. Its name fits: the species is highly variable, and seven subspecies are recognized.
It feeds mainly on small snakes, though lizards, caecilians and swamp eels have also been recorded. It lays eggs. A practical warning: skip the rhymes that claim to separate true coral snakes from harmless mimics by color order, because they do not hold up across regions. The safe rule is to leave every ringed snake alone. More tips are in our guide to snake warning signs.
2. Red-Sided Garter Snake Not venomous
The subspecies Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis is recognized by the red or orange bars between its light stripes. It is small and harmless to people, yet it puts on one of the great wildlife spectacles in North America. At the Narcisse Wildlife Management Area in Manitoba, Canada, more than 50,000 snakes gather at their winter dens in spring and fall.
After hibernation, dozens of males swarm a single female, forming what researchers call a mating ball. Scientists have also described "she-males," males that smell like females and confuse their rivals. Females are noticeably larger than males (roughly 65 cm versus 45 cm in body length, on average) and give birth to live young.
One important clarification: the resistance to newt tetrodotoxin sometimes credited to the whole species has been documented in populations on the U.S. Pacific coast, not in this prairie subspecies. If unusual diets fascinate you, read about snakes that eat other snakes.
1. Brazilian Rainbow Boa Not venomous
The winner is Epicrates cenchria, in its nominate form from Brazil and neighboring countries. Its color runs from orange to reddish brown, with dark rings along the back, spots on the sides and three dark lines on the head. What sets it apart is the shine: the rainbow effect is structural color, not pigment. The scales scatter light, most visibly in direct light and after a shed.
It lives in the Amazon Basin, the Guiana Shield and southern Venezuela. Some references extend its range into Central America, but many northern forms are now treated as a separate species, Epicrates maurus. The boa is nocturnal, lives on the ground and partly in trees, and reaches 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2.1 meters).
It eats small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and bats have been recorded among its prey. It has no venom and kills by constriction. The species is ovoviviparous, so the young are born live, with litters of 2 to 35 according to zoo data. When threatened it bites and releases a foul odor from its cloaca. In captivity it can live more than 20 years. See how it compares in our ranking of the largest snakes in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions About Red Snakes
Which red snake on this list is the most venomous?
The variable coral snake (Micrurus diastema). It is the only one on the list with a neurotoxic venom dangerous to people.
Are all red snakes dangerous?
No. Red alone says nothing about danger. The rainbow boa, garter snake and red-black striped snake are harmless to people, though wild snakes should never be handled. Our post on the difference between a snake, viper and cobra explains the main groups.
Why does the rainbow boa shimmer?
It comes from structural color. The microscopic structure of the scales splits light like a prism and creates the shine without any pigment.
Where does the red-black striped snake live?
In forests of West and Central Africa, from Guinea to Angola, the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda, usually near water.
Why do garter snakes form balls?
They are mating balls. After hibernation, several males surround one female and compete to mate with her. The best-known gatherings happen in Manitoba, Canada.
Sources
- RepFocus, distribution of Bothrophthalmus
- De Alencar and Martins (2013), natural history of pseudoboine snakes
- IUCN Red List, Pseudoboa coronata
- The Reptile Database, Micrurus diastema
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, garter snake
- Animal Diversity Web, Epicrates cenchria
- Study of tetrodotoxin resistance in Thamnophis sirtalis (PubMed Central)
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