Western Ribbon Snake:Ribbon snakes are harmless and typically eat fish, frogs, tadpoles, and earthworms. This common snake lives in wet areas and occurs along most of the Sabine River.
Western Ratsnake:Growing to about six feet long, western rat snakes have a dark pattern of blotches down their back.
Speckled Kingsnake: Speckled kingsnakes have distinctive yellow to cream-colored speckles on most of their jet-black dorsal scales with a matching yellow belly.
Rough Greensnake:They often have yellow just above their bellies on either side, and you probably won’t see one. However, not seeing one of these snakes is normal.
Plain-Bellied Watersnake:Another nonvenomous, fish and frog-eating watersnake with a nasty bite, plain-bellied watersnakes are common snakes in and around the Sabine River.
North American Racer :Similar to coachwhips, North American racers are also long and thin. They sometimes periscope, but more often use their legendary speed to chase down prey.
Mudsnake :This snake is almost fully aquatic, only leaving the water to lay eggs. Mudsnakes grow to about four and a half feet long, have cylindrical bodies.
Glossy Swampsnake :Also called glossy crayfish snakes because of their diet, glossy swamp snakes are harmless and semiaquatic.
Diamondback Watersnake :Diamondback watersnakes are not venomous but pack a nasty bite. Like most watersnakes, this species aggressively defends itself.
Dekay’s Brownsnake:These little slug eaters spend most of their time hiding under leaf litter, rotten logs, and other similarly moist locations. Dekay’s brownsnakes average around 12 inches long and are quite docile.
Coachwhip:Coachwhips eat everything from mice and rodents to lizards, snakes, and birds. These snakes are fairly common along the Sabine River, and although they can climb.
Broad-Banded Watersnake:Broad-banded watersnakes have a gorgeous black base color with red-orange bands spaced several inches apart.