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Rough Earth Snake
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Serpentes (snakes)
- Family: Colubridae ("typical" snakes)
- Subfamily: Natricinae (garter, ribbon, and
related snakes)
- Genus: Virginia (earth snakes)
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Scientific Name: Virginia
striatula (Linnaeus, 1766) |
| Habitat: Plains,
woodlands, hillsides; usually under cover, including trash. |
Virginia=state of Virginia; striatus="striped,"
ula="little"
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| Length: To about 12
inches long. |
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| Food: Small
invertebrates--earthworms, snails, slugs, etc.; occasionally small
frogs. |
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I found my first rough earth snake in my own
backyard in February--the outside air temperature was in the 30s
(Fahrenheit). It was under some bricks taking shelter from
the weather. I put the snake into a clear plastic tub to get
pictures. |
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| Here's a close-up of the
head.
Rough earth snakes are often overlooked, mistaken for large
nightcrawlers. They are probably a lot more common than most
people know, easily making their way through the thick lawns in
residential neighborhoods. Their shape and coloration helps
them burrow in leaf litter and plant root systems, eating worms
and slugs.
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