Flat-headed Snake
Tantilla gracilis
Description
The Flat-headed Snake is one of the smallest and most secretive snakes found at Snake Road. Adults are slender with a uniform tan, light brown, or reddish-brown body and a distinctly darker brown or nearly black head. As its common name suggests, the head is noticeably flattened and only slightly wider than the neck.
The belly is salmon pink to bright pink or coral-colored, creating a striking contrast with the otherwise subdued upper coloration. The scales are smooth and glossy, giving the snake a polished appearance.
Because of its tiny size and plain coloration, Flat-headed Snakes are easy to mistake for a small worm until viewed more closely.
Behavior
Flat-headed Snakes are highly fossorial, spending nearly their entire lives beneath rocks, logs, leaf litter, and loose soil. They are rarely seen in the open except during seasonal migrations or after extended periods of rain.
They are exceptionally gentle and almost never attempt to bite. Instead, they simply crawl away in search of cover.
Their diet consists primarily of centipedes, spiders, insect larvae, and other small invertebrates found beneath leaf litter and decaying logs.
Habitat
At Snake Road, Flat-headed Snakes are found in mature deciduous forests, especially along the bluff bases where loose soil, abundant leaf litter, and scattered rocks provide ideal cover. They are most often associated with dry to moderately moist wooded slopes rather than wetlands.
Where You're Most Likely to See One
Flat-headed Snakes are among the least frequently encountered snakes at Snake Road. Your best chance of finding one is during the spring or fall migrations following periods of rain, when they occasionally cross the road while moving between seasonal habitats. Because they are only a few inches long, they are extremely easy to overlook.
Commonly Confused With
Smooth Earthsnake
Virginia valeriaeBoth species are small, plain brown woodland snakes with smooth scales. Flat-headed Snakes are much more slender, have a distinctly darker head, and possess a bright pink or salmon-colored belly. Smooth Earthsnakes have a head that is nearly the same color as the body and a cream or pale pink underside.
- Much more slender body
- Distinctly darker head
- Noticeably flattened head
- Bright pink or salmon-colored belly
- Usually smaller overall
- Comparatively heavier body
- Head nearly matches the body color
- Less noticeably flattened head
- Cream or pale pink underside
- Usually larger overall
Common Wormsnake
Carphophis amoenusThese species are similar in size and both have pink bellies, but Wormsnakes are darker overall, usually dark brown to black above, with a sharply pointed tail tipped by a tiny spine. Flat-headed Snakes are lighter brown, have a noticeably flattened dark head, and lack the pointed tail tip.
- Lighter tan or brown upper coloration
- Distinctly dark, flattened head
- More slender overall
- No sharply pointed tail tip
- Pink or salmon-colored belly
- Darker brown to nearly black above
- Head is not distinctly darker than the body
- More cylindrical body
- Sharply pointed tail tipped by a tiny spine
- Pink coloration often extends onto the lower sides
