Virginia striatula
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| Virginia striatula Linnaeus, 1766 |
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Coluber striatulus |
The Rough Earth Snake (Virginia striatula) is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake native to the southeastern United States, from Texas to Florida, as far north as Missouri and North Carolina. It was first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1766, as Coluber striatulus.
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[edit] Description
The Rough Earth Snake is a small, brown, unpatterned snake with lightly keeled scales (which gives it its common name), and a light colored underside. They do not typically grow beyond 10 inches in length, with 7 inches being average. It is easily mistaken for the Smooth Earth Snake, Virginia valeriae, which it shares range and habitat. The keeling on the scales being the only way to distinguish the species.
[edit] Behavior
They are a fossorial species, spending most of their time buried in leaf litter, loose soil, or beneath rotting logs or other ground debris. It prefers habitats that are not prone to flooding. Their primary diet consists of earthworms and other soft bodied arthropods. They are ovoviviparous, with 3-8 4 inch long young being born in mid-summer.
[edit] Diet
Earthworms,
[edit] References
- Species Virginia striatula at the Species2000 Database
- Checklist of Florida Amphibians and Reptiles: Rough Earth Snake
