Stats

Lifespan: 4-8 yrs
Size: Small
Diet: Carnivore
Activity: Nocturnal
Social: Solitary
Biome: Temperate forest
Range: Eastern North America
Movement: Burrowing
Breeding: Egg-laying
Defense: Burrowing
Status: Uncommon

About

A small, glossy, worm-like snake of eastern woodlands that spends nearly its whole life burrowed under logs and leaf litter, rarely seen above ground except after rain. Its tiny eyes and blunt, pointed tail make it easy to mistake for an earthworm at a glance.

Life cycle

1.
hatchling
A miniature snake emerges from the egg or from its mother (live-bearers), already venomous or strong-coiled in some species.
2.
juvenile
A juvenile sheds its skin, grows quickly, and hunts smaller prey than the adults.
3.
adult
Fully grown at adult length and pattern.

Learn more

View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Carphophis
Species: Carphophis amoenus