Even More Black Snakes

There’s also the black whipsnake, Dolichophis jugularis, another non-venomous colubrid snake native to eastern European and Middle Eastern countries like Iran, Iraq, Greece, Turkey, and Syria. Covered in glossy black scales, this slender serpent has three unique subspecies and is also non-venomous.

Finally, perhaps the most recognizable of these three outliers is the black garter snake, Elapsoidea nigra. However, it actually is not related to the common garter snake we know and love here in North America! Unlike the humble, shy garter snakes within the Thamnophis genus, the black garter snake is venomous and native to Kenya and Tanzania all the way to central Africa.