Snakes of Turkey: Venomous and Non-Venomous Species

Turkey has 57 snake species in a current source-based working list: 15 front-fanged venomous species, three rear-fanged venomous species of lower usual medical concern, and 39 species treated as non-venomous in standard field use.

The Reptile Database search for Serpentes with the location set to Turkey returned 58 entries when checked on 16 July 2026.[a] One result is not part of the Turkish fauna, leaving 57 accepted country-level names in the corrected list.

Corrected Working List

57 species

Accepted country-level names checked in July 2026.

Front-Fanged Venomous

15 species

Fourteen vipers and one elapid cobra.

Rear-Fanged Venomous

3 species

One Montpellier snake and two cat snakes.

Other Recorded Snakes

39 species

Treated as non-venomous in ordinary field classification.

Why Published Totals Range from 57 to 60

A 2020 national checklist reported 60 ophidian taxa under the names, ranks and distribution records accepted at that time.[c] A later distribution and biogeography study mapped 57 snake taxa across Turkey.[d] Differences between these totals can result from synonymy, changes between species and subspecies rank, revised genus placement and rejection or reinterpretation of older locality records.

The Turkey Creek False Positive

Masticophis flagellum appears in the current Turkey search because its database entry contains “Turkey Creek” in a Colorado type locality. The species page places it in the United States and Mexico, not the country of Turkey.[b] It is excluded from every total and table on this page.

A change from 60 names to 57 names does not by itself indicate that three snakes disappeared. A taxonomic merger can reduce a checklist total even when the documented animals and localities remain unchanged.

Snake Species in Turkey by Family

The corrected working list is dominated by colubrids, while medically important front-fanged species are concentrated in Viperidae and Elapidae.

Colubridae contains 35 species in the working list.

Source: The Reptile Database country search for Serpentes in Turkey, checked 16 July 2026. Values represent accepted names after excluding the North American Masticophis flagellum text match.

Fifteen Front-Fanged Species Require Medical Caution

Turkey’s front-fanged group contains 14 vipers and one elapid, the desert cobra. All suspected bites from these species require urgent medical assessment. The regional descriptions below summarize documented record patterns rather than continuous or exact range boundaries.

Checklist no.	Accepted scientific name	Family	Broad record context in Turkey
1	Macrovipera lebetinus	Viperidae	Recorded across parts of southern, central and eastern Anatolia, mainly in dry rocky landscapes and open slopes.
2	Montivipera albizona	Viperidae	A localized central Anatolian mountain taxon associated with the Kulmaç Mountains and adjoining uplands.
3	Montivipera bulgardaghica	Viperidae	Restricted to the Bolkar Mountains and nearby parts of the south-central Taurus system.
4	Montivipera raddei	Viperidae	Recorded in the far eastern highlands near the Armenian and Iranian border regions.
5	Montivipera wagneri	Viperidae	Eastern Anatolian mountain records, including the Aras basin region and nearby uplands.
6	Montivipera xanthina	Viperidae	Western and southwestern Anatolia, including Aegean and Mediterranean rocky habitats.
7	Vipera ammodytes	Viperidae	Northwestern records associated with the Balkan and Thracian sector; its boundary with related nose-horned vipers depends on current taxonomy.
8	Vipera anatolica	Viperidae	A localized southwestern Anatolian meadow-viper lineage associated with Taurus uplands.
9	Vipera berus	Viperidae	Limited records from the far northeastern highlands; locality and identification require careful review.
10	Vipera darevskii	Viperidae	Northeastern border highlands under a taxonomically complex set of Turkish subspecies and related populations.
11	Vipera eriwanensis	Viperidae	Eastern Anatolian steppe and mountain records connected to the Armenian highland fauna.
12	Vipera kaznakovi	Viperidae	Northeastern Black Sea and Caucasus-facing habitats, especially humid and mountainous country.
13	Vipera meridionalis	Viperidae	Northern Turkish records under the current treatment that includes populations previously listed as Vipera transcaucasiana.
14	Vipera sakoi	Viperidae	Known from the Gümüşhane–Erzincan highland sector; its rank remains under study.
15	Walterinnesia aegyptia	Elapidae	Far southeastern evidence from the Şanlıurfa region, formerly reported under the name Walterinnesia morgani.

The category “front-fanged venomous” does not assign equal bite severity to every species. Clinical outcome depends on the taxon involved, whether venom was delivered, the bite location, the amount delivered, the patient and the time before treatment. A photograph cannot determine whether a bite was dry or whether systemic effects will develop.

Taxonomic Decisions Behind the Current 57-Name List

Walterinnesia morgani Is Not Counted as a Separate Species

Older Turkish checklists and locality papers used Walterinnesia morgani for the black desert cobra recorded in southeastern Anatolia. The current Reptile Database treatment places W. morgani in synonymy with Walterinnesia aegyptia, following a renewed assessment of the genus.[e] The Turkish cobra record remains in the checklist, but it contributes one accepted species rather than two.

Vipera transcaucasiana Is Treated within Vipera meridionalis

The name Vipera transcaucasiana appears in many Turkish publications and older national lists. The current database treatment accepts it as Vipera meridionalis transcaucasiana rather than as an independent species.[f] Publications using a different rank can therefore produce a different national species total without documenting a different snake population.

Vipera pontica No Longer Adds a Separate Checklist Entry

Vipera pontica, described from northeastern Turkey, has been interpreted as a likely hybrid involving Vipera kaznakovi and the taxon historically called V. transcaucasiana. It is placed in the synonymy associated with V. kaznakovi rather than counted as another accepted Turkish species.[g]

The Rank of Montivipera albizona Remains Unsettled

Montivipera albizona is retained as an accepted species in the working list, but its database account describes its status as uncertain and notes possible close relationships with M. wagneri or M. xanthina.[h] Future revision could retain, merge or redefine the name, altering the national total again.

Vipera sakoi and the Vipera darevskii Complex

Vipera sakoi is currently listed at species rank, but recent work has proposed placing it within Vipera darevskii at subspecies rank.[i] The current V. darevskii account also includes several named Turkish populations and documents continuing disagreement about boundaries within the group.[j]

A Name Change Is Not a Disappearance

When two names are merged, the checklist becomes shorter even though the known localities may be unchanged. When a subspecies is raised to species rank, the checklist becomes longer without a newly arrived animal. National totals should always be read together with the taxonomy date and source.

Three Rear-Fanged Species Need a Separate Category

Rear-fanged snakes possess grooved teeth positioned toward the back of the upper jaw. They should not be grouped with harmless aglyphous snakes, but their anatomy and usual human effects also differ from those of front-fanged vipers and cobras. A bite still warrants medical advice, particularly when symptoms develop or the identification is uncertain.

Checklist no.	Accepted scientific name	Family	Turkish evidence and medical context
16	Malpolon insignitus[k]	Psammophiidae	The eastern Montpellier snake has records across several Turkish regions. The database marks it as venomous, and published case literature documents that human symptoms can occur.
17	Telescopus fallax[l]	Colubridae	The European cat snake occurs in Turkey under several regional lineage names. It is venomous but described as usually not dangerous to humans.
18	Telescopus nigriceps[m]	Colubridae	The black-headed cat snake is documented from Kilis and Şanlıurfa. It is venomous but described as usually not dangerous to humans.

The Remaining Thirty-Nine Species

The following snakes are treated as non-venomous in ordinary field and medical classification. They may bite when restrained or threatened, and any bite can damage skin or introduce bacteria, but they are not placed with the front-fanged or rear-fanged venomous groups above.

Checklist no.	Accepted scientific name	Family	Broad ecological grouping
19	Coronella austriaca	Colubridae	Smooth snake associated with open woodland, scrub and rocky grassland.
20	Dolichophis caspius	Colubridae	Large, fast-moving racer of open and dry habitats.
21	Dolichophis jugularis	Colubridae	Large whip snake found in warm open country, farmland margins and scrub.
22	Dolichophis schmidti	Colubridae	Eastern racer associated with dry steppe and rocky slopes.
23	Eirenis aurolineatus	Colubridae	Small ground snake within Turkey’s diverse Eirenis assemblage.
24	Eirenis barani	Colubridae	Localized dwarf snake associated with rocky southern Anatolian terrain.
25	Eirenis collaris	Colubridae	Small secretive snake of dry, stony habitats.
26	Eirenis coronelloides	Colubridae	Ground-dwelling dwarf snake linked to southeastern dry habitats.
27	Eirenis decemlineatus	Colubridae	Striped dwarf snake of dry scrub, cultivated margins and rocky ground.
28	Eirenis eiselti	Colubridae	Localized ground snake recorded from eastern and southeastern Anatolia.
29	Eirenis hakkariensis	Colubridae	Restricted dwarf snake associated with the Hakkari mountain region.
30	Eirenis levantinus	Colubridae	Levantine ground snake reaching southern Anatolia.
31	Eirenis lineomaculatus	Colubridae	Small spotted or lined ground snake of rocky Mediterranean settings.
32	Eirenis modestus	Colubridae	One of the more broadly recorded Turkish dwarf snakes, using scrub, woodland edges and stony ground.
33	Eirenis occidentalis	Colubridae	Localized dwarf snake represented by records from southern parts of the country.
34	Eirenis punctatolineatus	Colubridae	Small ground snake associated with eastern rocky steppe.
35	Eirenis rothii	Colubridae	Warm-climate dwarf snake recorded in southern and southeastern Anatolia.
36	Eirenis thospitis	Colubridae	Localized eastern Anatolian dwarf snake associated with the Lake Van region.
37	Elaphe sauromates	Colubridae	Large rat snake of grassland, open woodland and agricultural mosaics.
38	Elaphe urartica	Colubridae	Eastern Anatolian rat snake associated with rocky and shrubby uplands.
39	Eryx jaculus	Erycidae	Sand boa adapted to loose soil, sandy ground and dry open habitats.
40	Hemorrhois nummifer	Colubridae	Coin-marked racer using rocky slopes, farmland margins and settlements.
41	Hemorrhois ravergieri	Colubridae	Spotted racer associated mainly with eastern rocky and steppe habitats.
42	Letheobia episcopus	Typhlopidae	Fossorial blind snake known from very limited southeastern evidence.
43	Muhtarophis barani	Colubridae	Localized southern Anatolian ground snake and the sole species in its genus.
44	Myriopholis macrorhyncha	Leptotyphlopidae	Minute fossorial threadsnake associated with warm, dry southeastern soils.
45	Natrix natrix	Natricidae	Grass snake associated with ponds, marshes, streams and damp terrestrial habitats.
46	Natrix tessellata	Natricidae	Dice snake closely associated with rivers, lakes, reservoirs and coastal water.
47	Platyceps collaris	Colubridae	Slender racer occurring in warm, rocky and open habitats.
48	Platyceps najadum	Colubridae	Dahl’s whip snake, a fast-moving species of dry open ground and scrub.
49	Platyceps rhodorachis	Colubridae	Racer associated with arid rocky slopes and southeastern drainage systems.
50	Platyceps ventromaculatus	Colubridae	Spotted-bellied racer reaching Turkey’s southeastern arid zone.
51	Rhynchocalamus melanocephalus	Colubridae	Secretive black-headed ground snake usually found beneath stones or within loose soil.
52	Rhynchocalamus satunini	Colubridae	Small ground snake associated with eastern mountain-steppe habitats.
53	Spalerosophis diadema	Colubridae	Large diadem snake reaching the arid and semi-arid southeast.
54	Xerotyphlops vermicularis	Typhlopidae	Worm-like blind snake that spends most of its life within soil and beneath stones.
55	Zamenis hohenackeri	Colubridae	Rat snake associated with rocky woodland, scrub and mountain valleys.
56	Zamenis longissimus	Colubridae	Aesculapian snake associated mainly with humid woodland and wooded slopes.
57	Zamenis situla	Colubridae	Leopard snake of Mediterranean scrub, rocky ground and traditional stone landscapes.

Turkey’s Snake Fauna Meets Several Biogeographic Regions

Thrace and the Northwestern Balkan Connection

European and Balkan-associated taxa enter Turkey through Thrace and northwestern Anatolia. This sector supports snakes such as Coronella austriaca, Dolichophis caspius, Elaphe sauromates and northern nose-horned viper lineages. The Bosporus is a major geographic division, but it is not a universal boundary for every snake lineage.

The Aegean Coast and Taurus Mountains

Western and southwestern Anatolia combine Mediterranean scrub, limestone slopes, river valleys and high mountain grasslands. The region includes Montivipera xanthina, localized Vipera anatolica populations, several racers, dwarf snakes and rat snakes. Elevation can separate closely situated lowland and mountain taxa.

Central Anatolian Steppe and Isolated Mountains

Central Anatolia contains broad steppe, dry agricultural plains, volcanic landscapes and isolated mountain systems. Its snake fauna includes widespread racers and dwarf snakes alongside localized mountain vipers such as Montivipera albizona. A country map that treats central Turkey as one uniform habitat would hide these local divisions.

Northeastern Black Sea and Caucasus Highlands

The humid Black Sea mountains and the drier highlands farther inland support several closely related vipers. Vipera kaznakovi, V. darevskii, V. eriwanensis, V. sakoi, Montivipera raddei and M. wagneri occur within this wider northeastern transition. Their ranges are not interchangeable, and locality is often essential for identification.

The Southeastern Mesopotamian Edge

Southeastern Turkey connects Anatolia with the dry plains and rocky landscapes of Syria, Iraq and Iran. The country’s only elapid, Walterinnesia aegyptia, is documented in this sector. Other southeastern elements include Telescopus nigriceps, Spalerosophis diadema, Platyceps ventromaculatus, Myriopholis macrorhyncha and several Eirenis species.

Wetlands and Underground Habitats Cross Regional Boundaries

Natrix natrix and Natrix tessellata follow freshwater systems rather than a single climatic region. Blind snakes and threadsnakes follow suitable soils and are easily missed by surface surveys. Their apparently sparse records may partly reflect fossorial behavior and uneven sampling rather than true absence from every unsurveyed area.

Head Shape Cannot Separate Venomous from Non-Venomous Snakes

A triangular head, vertical pupil or bold zigzag pattern is not a reliable universal test. Non-venomous snakes can flatten the head when threatened, lighting can alter the apparent pupil and unrelated species may share similar markings. Institutional wildlife-health guidance warns that no single visible feature reliably separates all venomous snakes from all non-venomous snakes.[n]

Identification may require several traits together: scale arrangement, snout structure, head shields, dorsal pattern, body proportions, locality, elevation and comparison with current taxonomic literature. These details should be examined from photographs or specimens already held by qualified institutions, not by capturing a wild snake.

Do Not Approach for a Closer Photograph

Keep a safe distance and allow the snake an escape route. A distant photograph showing the full body and surrounding habitat can aid later identification. Attempting to move, pin, catch or kill the animal creates a preventable bite risk.

After a Suspected Snakebite in Turkey

Move away from the snake, keep the patient as still as possible and immobilize the affected limb with a splint in a neutral position. Remove rings, watches, bracelets and tight clothing before swelling develops. Arrange urgent transport and call Turkey’s 112 emergency service.

Do not cut, puncture, burn or suck the bite site.
Do not apply ice, chemicals, herbal mixtures or electric shock.
Do not apply a tight arterial tourniquet.
Do not encourage the patient to walk or run when transport is available.
Do not wait for severe symptoms before seeking medical care.
Do not attempt to capture or kill the snake for identification.

WHO guidance limits pressure-immobilization methods to particular neurotoxic bites that do not cause local swelling; it does not support improvised tight bandaging for every snakebite.[o] Turkish Ministry of Health guidance likewise advises rest, removal of constricting items, avoidance of cutting or sucking the wound and rapid medical assistance without a tourniquet.[p]

Antivenom selection, laboratory monitoring and treatment of swelling, bleeding, neurologic effects or allergic reactions belong in a medical facility. A suspected bite should not be managed according to an online species identification alone.

Sources and Verification

[a] The Reptile Database — Serpentes Recorded for Turkey — Used to establish the current accepted-name search results, family placement and the corrected 57-species working list.
[b] The Reptile Database — Masticophis flagellum — Used to verify its North American distribution and the “Turkey Creek” type-locality text responsible for the false country-search match.
[c] Kurnaz 2020 — Species List of Amphibians and Reptiles from Turkey — Used for the historical national total of 60 ophidian taxa and the earlier Turkish checklist treatment.
[d] Yaşar et al. 2021 — The Distribution and Biogeography of Amphibians and Reptiles in Turkey — Used for the 57-taxon mapped snake treatment and broad regional occurrence patterns.
[e] The Reptile Database — Walterinnesia aegyptia — Used for the current acceptance of the desert cobra name and the synonymy of Walterinnesia morgani.
[f] The Reptile Database — Vipera meridionalis — Used for the current treatment of Vipera transcaucasiana within V. meridionalis.
[g] The Reptile Database — Vipera kaznakovi — Used for the present treatment of Vipera pontica and its proposed hybrid origin.
[h] The Reptile Database — Montivipera albizona — Used for its accepted listing and the unresolved relationship with other Turkish mountain vipers.
[i] The Reptile Database — Vipera sakoi — Used for its current species listing and the proposal to treat it within Vipera darevskii.
[j] The Reptile Database — Vipera darevskii — Used for the current Turkish subspecies treatment and documented uncertainty within the species complex.
[k] The Reptile Database — Malpolon insignitus — Used for accepted taxonomy, Turkish records and confirmation that the eastern Montpellier snake is venomous.
[l] The Reptile Database — Telescopus fallax — Used for Turkish distribution, rear-fanged venom status and the current treatment of regional lineages.
[m] The Reptile Database — Telescopus nigriceps — Used for the Kilis and Şanlıurfa records, venom status and current species treatment.
[n] Cornell Wildlife Health Lab — Understanding Native Snakes — Used to verify that no single visible trait reliably separates every venomous snake from every non-venomous snake.
[o] World Health Organization — Snakebite Envenoming Treatment — Used for immobilization, tourniquet warnings, pressure-immobilization limits and urgent medical treatment guidance.
[p] Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Health — Snakebite Precautions — Used for Turkey-specific advice on rest, removal of constricting items, avoidance of wound cutting or suction and emergency assistance.