Relative Lengths of Vermont Snakes
This chart was compiled by Ruthie Carter using snake length data from the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas database during the spring of 2007. Snakes were ranked in size order, and the longest 10% (“top 10%”) from each species were included in the data for the chart.
These are the lengths you should expect for mature breeding adults of these species in Vermont. The length in red is the largest, reliably documented snake of that species from Vermont. (You can click the chart for a larger image.) Can you document a larger one?
| Length Data for the Longest (Top 10%) Vermont Snakes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Average Length (inches) of Large Adults (top 10%) | Longest Reported in Vermont (Total Body Length (TBL) in inches) | n (of top 10%) |
| Red-bellied Snake | 12 | 13 | 21 |
| DeKay's Brownsnake | 15 | 17 | 13 |
| Ring-necked Snake | 16 | 17 | 12 |
| Smooth Greensnake | 18 | 19 | 5 |
| Common Gartersnake | 29 | 35 | 73 |
| Eastern Ribbonsnake | 34 | 35 | 6 |
| Milksnake | 39 | 43 | 19 |
| Northern Watersnake | 49 | 52 | 18 |
| Timber Rattlesnake | 52 | 54 | 7 |
| North American Racer (previously known as Eastern or Black Racer) | 70 | 70 | 2 |
| Eastern Ratsnake | 72 | 75 | 7 |