Common Snake Species in Toronto

Dekay’s Brown Snake: These snakes are relatively common in the area, and they can be found in a variety of places, such as prairies, wetlands, and forests. They also eat a variety of invertebrates and amphibians, but their diet mainly consists of slugs, worms, and small fishes. One can identify them through their brown or gray coloration with two rows of dark spots running along their back. They are also small, and they grow just about 19 inches in length. Because of their relatively small size and shy nature, little is known about this snake species.




Eastern Fox snake: The eastern fox snake can be identified through their rust-colored head, and a slightly yellow body with dark spots and they can also reach an average total body length of 3 ft to 5.5 feet or 66 inches. They can be found in areas such as tall grass prairies, wetlands, and rock barrens. They can climb trees well and are also excellent swimmers, which helps them hunt their prey. Their diet consists mainly of small mammals, frogs, birds, and bird eggs. Interestingly, they are nonvenomous, but when confronted, they will mimic a rattlesnake and vibrate their tail in hopes that they can fool their predators into leaving them in peace.

Milk snake: Milk snakes have a distinct pattern that makes them easily recognizable. They would have a gray or tan background body color with red to red-brown spots that are bordered in black running along their back and sides. They also have a checkered black and white belly, with a Y or V-shaped mark on the back of their head. Milk snakes commonly exceed over 24 inches in total, with some growing over 39 inches long. They can usually be found in open areas such as fields, forest edges, and outcrops, and they can also be found around barns because they like to feed on mice. Other food preferences include birds and bird eggs, lizards, smaller snakes, fishes, and frogs.

Venomous Snake Species in Toronto

Massasauga Rattlesnake: There is only one venomous snake in Toronto, and that is the eastern massasauga rattlesnake. They can be identified through their triangular heads and vertical, cat-like pupils. They also have butterfly-shaped spots and they have a rattle on the end of their tail. The average adult size is 18 to 40 inches in total length. Their name means “great river mouth” in Ojibwa, and as their name suggests, they are commonly seen in wetlands near rivers, and they also like tallgrass prairies, rocky barrens, and forests. They like to eat frogs and mice, but they also eat smaller snakes and voles. Massasauga rattlesnakes have heat-sensitive pits near their eyes, which enables them to see thermal images, like all pit vipers. This is also how they catch their prey.