Species
Smooth earthsnake
Virginia valeriae
A small, plain grey-brown snake of woods and gardens that lives mostly underground.
Photo Don F Becker (opens in a new tab) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- Usually 18 to 25 cm long
- Habitat
- Woods, fields and gardens with loose soil and leaf litter
- Diet
- Earthworms and soft insects
- In Georgia
- Statewide
- Venomous
- No
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Small, plain grey to reddish-brown, sometimes with tiny dark flecks; smooth scales
- Told apart from
- Rough earthsnake, which has a more pointed snout and keeled scales
- Where to look
- Under logs, boards and mulch
Behaviour
It burrows in soil and leaf litter, coming up after rain. It is harmless and does not bite.
Why they matter
It eats earthworms and soft insects and is food for many predators.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Young — Born live, usually 2 to 14
Size at birth — About 8 to 10 cm
Maturity — In two years
Breeding — Every year
Lifespan — Several years
Habits — Mostly underground
Living around people
- It is harmless; leaf litter and mulch give it shelter.
Misconceptions
- Small snakes in the garden are babies of dangerous snakes. Earthsnakes are harmless adults.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Underground | Underground | Emerging | Active | Mating | Active | Young born | Young born | Active | Active | Underground | Underground |
Where it lives
Recorded in 22 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
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