SMOOTH EARTH SNAKE

KANSAS: SINC
FEDERAL: N/A
Scientific Name: Virginia valeriae
CATEGORY: SINC
SPECIES CLASS: Reptiles
Date Listed: T 1987; SINC 2015
Recovery Plan: No
Photo by Suzanne L. Collins, CNAH

Suzanne L. Collins, CNAH

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

The Smooth Earth Snake has smooth scales on the front part and weakly keeled scales on the rear part of the body, a divided anal scale, six scales on the upper lip and two or more scales bordering the rear edge of the eye. The head, body and tail are gray or brown with no pattern. The belly is white. Adults normally grow to 7-10 inches in length.

 

 Smooth Earth Snakes seem to prefer open sandstone woods, rocky hillsides in moist woodlands, deciduous forests, wooded urban areas, woodland edge situations, open brushy woodlands without a continuous leaf canopy, and abandoned fields. They are frequently found in thick piles of dead leaves, or beneath leaf litter, flat rocks, logs, and other surface debris, most often near forest-edge or on hillsides with sparse tree cover.

SMOOTH EARTH SNAKE
SPECIES PROTECTION AND CRITICAL HABITATS: DESIGNATED CRITICAL HABITATS
The following counties contain critical habitat for SMOOTH EARTH SNAKE:
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