Greg Dodge Journal » Rough Earth Snake

Rough Earth Unearthed

Greg Dodge — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:23:00 +0000

A Rough Earth Snake was uncovered by Butterfly House Director Uli Hartmond as he worked on the plantings outside of the Conservatory on the 16th of February. This was the first live snake of the season. A dead Rough Earth Snake was spotted by Ranger Lew a few weeks earlier in Catch the Wind.

I'm holding the snake that Uli unearthed in the flower bed (succulent bed). Gentle little creatures, flower beds are not unusual locations to find Rough Earth Snakes.

In other herp news, I’ve heard Spring Peepers calling both last week and this week. Chorus frogs can’t be far behind.

Snakes!

Greg Dodge — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:38:03 +0000

March 10th was the day!

A little after noon I spotted the first-of-the-season Northern Water Snake coiled up under a Baldcypress at the bottom of the boardwalk in the Wetlands.

Although not necessarily known as even tempered snakes, Northern Water Snakes are harmless.

The same day, Lead Animal Keeper Kristen spied a Copperhead along the path in Explore the Wild.

And today, Lead Horticulturists Joe found several Rough Earth Snakes (Virginia striatula) and a Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi) under some debri at one of the Museum’s storage areas. Both of these snakes are small snakes, maxing out at about 13 inches and 18 inches respectively.

One of several Rough Earth Snakes seen on the 11th of March.

Brown Snake.

Close-up of head of the Brown Snake.

Brown Snakes are gentle little snakes, please respect them by leaving them be if you come across one on the trail.

March 10 was also a busy day for turtles. Besides the dozens of Painted and Yellow-bellied Turtles out basking, the first Common Snapping Turtle of the season was seen from the Wetlands Overlook.

The turtles were stacked up on the Wetlands (3/10/10). Pictured here are all Yellow-bellied Turtles (sliders).

I wonder what will show up today?

A small Rough Snake

Greg Dodge — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:37:56 +0000

On October 28, as I rounded the bend in the path where it enters Catch the Wind from Explore the Wild, I noticed two women with strollers looking intently down at the ground. I couldn’t see what they were looking at but I heard the word “snake” and immediately quickened my pace. The object of their attention was a tiny brown snake, a Rough Earth Snake (Virginia striatula) to be specific.

Rough Earth Snake crossing path where it enters Catch the Wind.

I’d run into one of these pleasant little snakes once before in 2008 when I saw a juvenile out in front of the Ornithopter, but hadn’t seen one since.

Rough Earth Snakes get to be about 12 inches in length, are overall brown but may have a dark head with a lighter band just to the rear of the head. This mark is more obvious in young snakes.

There is a faint band just to the rear of this snake's otherwise dark head.

The “rough” in the Rough Earth Snake’s name comes from the “keels” or ridges that run the length of the scales on the dorsal, or upper, side of the snake’s body. Why refer to the keels on the scales when naming this snake? There is another closely related snake which looks very much like this one which has the name Smooth Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae) and, as you may have guessed, its scales do not have keels.

If you look closely you may be able to make out the keels on the scales.