Posted by Kirsten Hill on May 24, 2008

Q: I came home today and my neighbor, who is a very close friend of mine, told me to come in and see what she found. In a plastic container, there sat a miniature snake. She gardens in her backyard and seldom finds a small snake species. Since she is horrified of them, she gets her husband to quickly release them into the forest nearby, but since I have moved in beside her and she has found out about my love of reptiles and such, she sometimes shows me the snakes she finds. This one is a very dark gray, but obviously not black. The bottom of its head and a little marking behind its head is tan and its complete belly is a creamy red. It doesn't bite and is very small, probably a young one. Please help me identify this snake! Thanks.

State: South Carolina

Habitat: suburban/yard

A: There are several species of snake in the East that have a red belly. I suspect you found a Red-bellied Snake, a common, harmless forest-dweller that eats insects and other invertebrates. Red-bellied Snakes are tan, brown or gray on top with a cream-colored band right behind the head and a bright red belly.

A couple of other species that exhibit a reddish (or pink) belly include the Southeastern Crowned Snake, the Eastern Worm Snake, and the Black Swamp Snake, but these species either are not typically dark gray on the back or don't have markings behind the head.

Here is a site with a list of South Carolina snakes. Have a look at the Red-bellied Snake account and let me know if that looks like your critter.

Hope this helps.

Solon Morse ( May 27, 2008)