SMALL, GARDEN VARIETY SNAKES

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Small, brownish snakes are regularly unearthed in gardens or uncovered when removing debris around houses, even in urban areas. These snakes are often thought to be "ground rattlers", and are the source of much undue panic. The true "ground rattler" (Pygmy Rattlesnake, Sistrurus miliarius) is a distinctive snake rarely discovered in urban or suburban situations. It has a row of large brown or black spots down the back, a tiny rattle at the tip of the tail, a vertical pupil, and a loreal pit (Fig. 4). In addition, the head is much broader than the neck. The "garden" snakes are plain brown, gray or black, with or without small dark dots on the back, lack a rattle and loreal pit, have round pupils, and have narrow heads that are little wider than the neck (Fig. 4), although some can flatten the head into a triangular shape when agitated. The snakes considered in this section are harmless, rarely bite, and may feed on snails, slugs, earthworms, centipedes, insects, or small lizards.

Fig. 4. Head of a Brown Snake (left) and a Pygmy Rattlesnake (right).

Brahminy Blind Snake, Ramphotyphlops braminus

Click to enlarge. Photo Credit: Dino Ferri

• Identification: 3-6 inches. Overall polished black or brown; no enlarged scales on belly; scales smooth; tail short and blunt.
• Habits: Blind snakes burrow in loose soil, occasionally coming to the surface after or during rain. They have reached many parts of the world through transport in potting soil of nursery plants. They feed on ant eggs and pupae, and lay from 2-7 eggs.
• Distribution: Blind snakes were introduced to New Orleans during the 1990s, but have not yet been reported outside of the city limits. They are native to southern Asia.

Eastern Worm Snake, Carphophis amoenus

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• Identification: 8-12 inches. Brown above, pink below and on the first to second scale row; eyes tiny; scales smooth and in 13 rows; small, harmless spine on the tip of the tail.
• Habits: Worm snakes burrow in loose soil and leaf litter in deciduous forest, occasionally concealing themselves beneath logs. They lay from 2-6 eggs.
• Distribution: Wooded portions of the Florida Parishes.

Western Worm Snake, Carphophis vermis

Click to enlarge. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

• Identification: 8-14 inches. Black above, pink or scarlet below and up to the third scale row; eyes tiny; scales smooth and in 13 rows; small, harmless spine on the tip of the tail.
• Habits: Worm snakes burrow in loose soil and leaf litter in deciduous forest, occasionally concealing themselves beneath logs. They lay from 1-6 eggs.
• Distribution: The wooded blufflands between Mer Rouge and Wisner (Macon Ridge), now almost completely deforested; an old record from near Gayle; not seen in Louisiana since the 1960s.

Ring-necked Snake, Diadophis punctatus

Click to enlarge. Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

• Identification: 8-16 inches. Slate gray above, yellow-orange below with black dots or central row of spots; neck with a distinct yellow collar; scales smooth and in 15 rows.
• Habits: Ring-necked snakes remain concealed in leaf litter and rotted logs or under trash piles. When molested they may turn their tail upside-down in a tight coil to expose the bright orange underside. They lay from 2-5 eggs.
• Distribution: Forested or wooded areas throughout the state except the southwest portion; a record from Lake Charles may indicate connection with populations in southeastern Texas.

Pine Woods Snake, Rhadinaea flavilata

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• Identification: 8-15 inches. Reddish brown or tan above, pale yellow below; a distinct dark band passes through the eye, bordered above by a pale line; scales smooth and in 17 rows.
• Habits: The pine woods snake occurs within and under rotting logs and other surface objects in pine flatwoods. They lay from 2-4 eggs.
• Distribution: The lower Florida Parishes from Livingston Parish eastward.

Rough Earth Snake, Virginia striatula

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• Identification: 6-12 inches. Gray, tan, brown or slate gray above, pale yellow or whitish below; faint, pale collar may be present; scales keeled and in 17 rows.
• Habits: Rough earth snakes burrow in leaf litter and wood pulp, but may also be found under trash and other surface objects, chiefly in wooded areas. They thrive in yards in urban and suburban settings, where they conceal themselves in leaf litter, mulch and groundcover plants. They give birth to 4-9 young.
• Distribution: Throughout the state in wooded and forested portions, but absent from the marshes, Mississippi River bottom, and the region south of Lake Pontchartrain.

Smooth Earth Snake, Virginia valeriae

Click to enlarge.	Click to enlarge.

• Identification: 6-13 inches. Gray, tan, brown or red brown above with tiny black dots on the head; pale yellow to white below; faint pale line may be present down the back; scales smooth or weakly keeled, and in 17 rows.
• Habits: Smooth earth snakes occur in leaf litter and pulpy logs, or can be found under logs and trash. They occur in wooded or forested areas, especially where there are pines. They give birth to 3-8 young.
• Distribution: The Florida Parishes and upland areas in northern and central Louisiana.

Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi

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• Other common names: Dekay's snake, brown grass snake.
• Identification: 7-16 inches. Tan or brown above with a pale band down the back; most populations with a row of small black dots on either side of the middle of the back that may be connected by dark lines; coastal populations lack dark spots; dark streak or bar behind the eyes; underside beige to nearly white; small young have a pale collar; scales keeled and in 17 rows.
• Habits: Brown snakes are the most frequently observed snake in suburban or urban portions of Louisiana. They tend to remain concealed beneath leaf litter, under surface objects or in dense ground cover. Brown snakes occasionally flatten the head, coil and strike when disturbed, leading to the mistaken belief that they are venomous. When striking, the mouth remains closed. They give birth to 4-24 young.
• Distribution: Throughout Louisiana.

Red-bellied Snake, Storeria occipitomaculata

Click to enlarge.	Click to enlarge.

• Identification: 6-14 inches. Brown or gray above, with two rows of black dots or two or four thin dark lines from head to tail; underside usually red or orange, rarely yellow or dull white; pale spots present on either side of the neck and under each eye; small young have a pale collar; scales keeled and in 15 rows.
• Habits: Red-bellied snakes tend to stay concealed under leaf litter and surface objects in wooded or forested areas. They give birth to 6-15 young.
• Distribution: Forested portions of Louisiana north of the coastal marshes and swamplands.

Southeastern Crowned Snake, Tantilla coronata

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• Identification: 6-13 inches. Pale tan above with a pink cast to the underside; top of head dark brown with a pale collar followed by a dark collar; eyes tiny; scales smooth and in 15 rows.
• Habits: Crowned snakes burrow in sandy or loamy soil and wood pulp in dry pine-oak forest and flatwoods. They lay 2 or 3 eggs.
• Distribution: Well-drained areas of the Florida Parishes where pines occur.

Flat-headed Snake, Tantilla gracilis

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• Identification: 5-9 inches. Pale tan above with a pink cast below; top of head slightly darker than body; eyes tiny; scales smooth and in 15 rows.
• Habits: Flat-headed snakes remain below the ground most of the time but occasionally come to the surface under rocks and logs. They lay from 1-4 eggs.
• Distribution: Upland pine-oak woodlands in central and northern Louisiana.

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