Eastern Worm Snake

Description:

Worm snakes are small brown snakes, up to 13 in length. They have smooth shiny scales, tiny eyes, and a pointed tail tip. The body is generally light to dark brown back and a pink to white belly. The belly coloration often extends slightly onto the sides of the body. Juveniles resemble adults in coloration.

Habitat:

Eastern worm snakes are found in the eastern U.S., from southern New England to central Georgia and west to the Mississippi River. It is most common in the Piedmont but is also found in smaller numbers in the mountains and Coastal Plain of South Carolina but is absent from most of the Coastal Plain of Georgia. Worm snakes are usually found in forested habitats and are generally most common in deciduous woodlands. In the Coastal Plain, this species is apparently most common in forests adjacent to wetlands or cypress swamps. It is most often found in rotting logs, under rocks, in loose soil, or under leaf litter. Worm snakes feed almost exclusively on earthworms and probably fall prey to a variety of birds, mammals, and other snakes.

Notes:

Worm snakes are seldom seen above ground. They are most often encountered hiding beneath logs, rocks, leaf litter, or other debris. This snake was slithering along the trail.