Snakes in South Dakota
South Dakota has around 17 snake species, among which just one, i.e., the prairie rattlesnake, is venomous. It mainly occurs in all the counties lying to the western part of the Missouri river and fewer places in the east. It primarily inhabits prairies and wooded mountains and rests in crevices, burrows, and caves. The gopher or bull snake is the state’s largest, measuring between 37 and 72 inches.
| Groups | Venomous | Non-venomous |
|---|---|---|
| Rattlesnakes | Prairie Rattlesnake | – |
| Kingsnakes | – | Pale Milk Snake Red Milk Snake |
| Garter Snakes | – | Common Garter Snake Wandering Garter Snake Plains Garter Snake |
| Hognose Snakes | – | Eastern Hognose Snake Plains Hognose Snake |
| Water Snakes | – | Common Watersnake |
| Storeria | – | DeKay’s Brown Snake Northern Redbelly Snake |
| Coluber | – | Blue Racer |
| Diadophis | – | Ring-necked Snake |
| Opheodrys | – | Smooth Green Snake |
| Pantherophis | – | Fox Snake |
| Pituophis | – | Gopher Snake (Bull Snake) |
| Tropidoclonion | – | Lined Snake |
