Eastern Wormsnake

Carphophis amoenus amoenus — Colubridae

7.5–11 inches

IUCN

Least Concern

Federal (US)

None

Virginia

None

VWAP Tier

Not Listed

Habitat

terrestrialforestfossorial

Found in Virginia

Statewide

How to identify

Very small, 7.5–11 inches
Smooth, glossy brown body above
Pink or salmon-colored belly
Blunt, rounded head barely distinct from body
Very small eyes

About this species

Virginia's smallest snake, the eastern wormsnake is a burrowing species that lives underground and under logs and rocks in forested areas. With its smooth brown body and blunt head, it closely resembles an earthworm. They are harmless and spend almost their entire lives underground eating earthworms.

Often confused with

Northern Ring-necked Snake

Ring-necked snakes have a bright neck ring and colorful belly; wormsnakes are uniformly brown with a plain pink belly

Did you know

"Eastern wormsnakes use their pointed tail tip to push against surfaces when burrowing — if you hold one, it will press its tail tip firmly against your hand, which feels odd but is completely harmless."

Sightings & citizen science

Help document Virginia wildlife by logging your sightings on iNaturalist. Every observation builds the conservation data that researchers and rehabbers depend on.

View Eastern Wormsnake observations on iNaturalist ↗

Found one injured?

If you've found an injured or displaced Eastern Wormsnake in Virginia, our triage guide walks you through what to do.

Triage guide →