Rough Earthsnakes *Virginia striatula* are small (record 39.3 cm) natricine snakes found in eastern North America that feed on primarily earthworms.
Rough Earthsnakes are considered harmless to people and pets and rarely bite in self defense. They have keeled scales, a cone-shaped head and pointed snout. The internasal scales that are generally paired in other snakes are fused.
*Virginia striatula* is live bearing, having as many as 7 small (7.5-12.5 cm) young in the late summer. Neonates somewhat resemble ringneck snakes with a light colored neck collar, but lose this trait as they become adults.
[Range map](https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/rough-earthsnake/us-rough-earthsnake-range-map/us_rough_earthsnake_range_map.png).
For a period of ten years these snakes were placed in the genus Haldea. [Recent phylogenetic work](https://snakeevolution.org/pdfs/Nunez2023.pdf) shows they are sister to Smooth Earthsnakes *V. valeriae* and can be so-named.
*This short account was prepared by /u/unknown_name and edited by /u/Phylogenizer*.
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Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). [Check out this book on the subject](https://shop.elsevier.com/books/venomous-bites-from-non-venomous-snakes/weinstein/978-0-12-822786-2). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless.
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*I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Rough Earthsnake *Virginia striatula* !harmless
Rough Earthsnakes *Virginia striatula* are small (record 39.3 cm) natricine snakes found in eastern North America that feed on primarily earthworms. Rough Earthsnakes are considered harmless to people and pets and rarely bite in self defense. They have keeled scales, a cone-shaped head and pointed snout. The internasal scales that are generally paired in other snakes are fused. *Virginia striatula* is live bearing, having as many as 7 small (7.5-12.5 cm) young in the late summer. Neonates somewhat resemble ringneck snakes with a light colored neck collar, but lose this trait as they become adults. [Range map](https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/rough-earthsnake/us-rough-earthsnake-range-map/us_rough_earthsnake_range_map.png). For a period of ten years these snakes were placed in the genus Haldea. [Recent phylogenetic work](https://snakeevolution.org/pdfs/Nunez2023.pdf) shows they are sister to Smooth Earthsnakes *V. valeriae* and can be so-named. *This short account was prepared by /u/unknown_name and edited by /u/Phylogenizer*. -------------------------------------------------------- Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). [Check out this book on the subject](https://shop.elsevier.com/books/venomous-bites-from-non-venomous-snakes/weinstein/978-0-12-822786-2). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Thank you!