Northern Scarletsnake

How to identify

• Red, black, and yellow or white blotches or bands on back
• Plain white or cream belly — bands do not wrap around
• Red snout
• Small size, 14–20 inches
• Smooth, glossy scales

About this species

A small, strikingly colored burrowing snake, the northern scarletsnake mimics the coral snake pattern with red, black, and white or yellow banding. Unlike the scarlet kingsnake, its bands do not extend around the belly — the underside is plain white. They are fossorial and rarely seen despite being present throughout their range.

Often confused with

Did you know

"Northern scarletsnakes are specialized egg eaters — they use enlarged rear teeth to slit open reptile eggs and extract the contents without swallowing the shell."

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.