What is a rough earth snake?

The rough earth snake, Virginia striatula, is a brown to grey species found from the Florida panhandle to as far north as Virginia and as far west as Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas. It prefers a variety of forest habitats with plenty of ground cover.

This slender species reaches just 7 to 10 inches in length and has a small head with a pointed snout and a whitish or tan belly. Keeled scales distinguish the rough earth from the smooth earth snake. Rough earth snakes spend most of their time underground, feeding nearly exclusively on earthworms. They are also found hiding beneath logs, amid leaf litter and in other debris.