Welcome to allentownsnakes.com! I am David, a snake enthusiast living in Allentown, PA. Many people don't know that Allentown is in fact full of snakes! You just need to know where to find them - they can often be shy and elusive. Some Pennsylvania snake species are more common outside of the city limits, in different parts of Lehigh County PA, but many types of snakes are indeed common in the more urban parts of Allentown. This guide is meant to help educate you about the beautiful snakes of Allentown, and to help you identify the most common snakes of Allentown, as well as the venomous snakes of Allentown that you should learn to recognize and avoid. If you want more detail, click here for my complete list of ALL snake species in Allentown. Remember the following:

Common Snake Species in Allentown

Northern black racer: This is a shiny black and slender snake with the ability to move very fast, it can grow to about 36 to 60 inches and has smooth large scales. These snakes are usually found in meadows, farmlands, shrubs, and trees. They are not venomous but will strike when cornered.







Eastern rat snake: This is also known as the black rat snake and it’s the largest snake species in Pennsylvania. It has a black or dull brown body with black blotches while its belly can be white or very pale yellow with dark patterns, this snake will measure between 40 and 100 inches.







Northern ring-neck snake: These are small and slender snakes with dark gray to olive green bodies and a distinctive yellow to bright orange ring around their necks, their bellies have the same color as the ring. In Pennsylvania, these snakes are mostly found in grassy lands and hardwood forests. Adult northern ring-necked snakes will measure from about 12 to 15 inches.






Northern water snake: This is a common water snake found in most water bodies across the state of Pennsylvania. The northern water snake is a medium-sized stout snake with a gray or tan base color and reddish-brown or dark brown blotches; these snakes grow to about 24 to 55 inches long.







Eastern milk snake: The eastern milk snake is a snake species found in a wide range of habitats across the state, they are very common in Pennsylvania. These snakes have a tan or gray base color with rows of red or reddish-brown, and black-edged blotches around their bodies. Adults can grow to about 24 to 36 inches, the longest ever measured was 56 inches.







Eastern garter snake: This is one of the most common snakes in Pennsylvania, they are found in almost all habitats, near water bodies, in forests, and even in backyards. These snakes have a green to dark brown color with stripes and spots along their upper bodies while their bellies are cream-colored with 2 rows of black or red spots. Eastern garter snakes usually measure between 20-28 inches.






Northern brown snake: This snake species is found in abundance in forests, grasslands, and open spaces across Pennsylvania. They are small and slender with gray to brown bodies and black spots along their upper bodies and pale brown bellies bordered by black dots. This snake is also known as Dekay’s snake and the adult size is between 9 and 13 inches long.







Northern red-bellied snake: This is another snake species found in abundance across the state. They are related to the northern brown snakes and live in fields, forests, edges of streams, and wetlands. Red-bellied snakes have bright red or yellowish-orange bellies and gray, tan, or brown backs with faint stripes. These snakes measure between 8 and 16 inches.

Venomous Snake Species in Allentown

Timber rattlesnake: This is the most common venomous snake in Pennsylvania. It’s found mostly in forests with rock outcrops, especially in crevices. Timber rattlesnakes can either be pale yellow or black. These snakes can have a tan or dark brown base color with dark brown or black splotches across its back. Their stout bodies will measure between 35 and 60 inches.





Eastern massasauga rattlesnake: This is a small, thick-bodied rattlesnake with a grayish-brown base color and dark splotches across the length of its body. It is considered an endangered species in Pennsylvania. Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes are usually not found in Allentown as they inhabit mostly the western part of the state.






Northern copperhead: This venomous snake is seen in almost every part of Pennsylvania, mostly in forests, clearings, and near rocks. They measure from 24 to 36 inches and their thick bodies have a light tan to gray background with dark brown or reddish-brown hourglass-shaped patterns across the length of their bodies.






If you're unsure, you can email me a photo of the snake at info@allentownsnakes.com and I will email you back with the snake's species. If you found a snake skin, read my Found a Skin? page, and you can email me a photo of the skin, and I'll identify the snake for you. If you need professional Allentown snake removal help, click my Get Help page, or see the below website sponsor I found, who provides that service.


Remember, the term is not poisonous snakes of Allentown, it's venomous snakes of Allentown. Poison is generally something you eat, and venom is injected into you. That said, dangerous snakes are very rare in Allentown. The few venomous snakes of Lehigh County are rarely seen. But they are commonly misidentified, so learn about all the snake species of Allentown in order to correctly identify them. These snakes are usually also found in the surrounding towns of Bethlehem, Easton, Lehigh Valley, Bethlehem, Macungie, Coopersburg, Trexlertown, Schnecksville, Catasauqua, Slatington, Coplay, Fountain Hill, New Tripoli, Alburtis, Wescosville, Laurys Station, East Texas, Hokendauqua, Slatedale, Fullerton, Ancient Oaks, Stiles, and the surrounding areas.

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