Carphophis amoenus
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Carphophis amoenus, commonly known as the worm snake, is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to the eastern United States. C. amoenus can be found east of the Mississippi, from southwest Massachusetts south to southern Alabama west to Louisiana and then north to Illinois. This species of snake protects a large range, and normally prefers a moist habitat in the rocky woodlands, under rotten wood of logs and stumps. Though this snake is quite abundant over its range, it is rarely seen because of its dormant lifestyle and where it usually resides. This snake is most common on the edges or in the ecotonal areas of open to thick woodlands, and the borders of wetlands. It may also be found in the grasslands next to woodlands. The best chance to spot it is after heavy rains, when its small size and distinct color make it easy to spot. This species prefers moist soil inhabited by earthworms, which are its main prey, so the soil needs to be sufficiently moist. The snake's skin naturally evaporates water; so the soil needs to be moist enough to offset this. C. amoenus is mostly found under rocks and in sufficient leaf litter during the extreme daytime heat. Peak activity falls between 15:00 to 18:00. Wikipedia →
Recording0:40
United States · 2025
© Iso Lainey! 🍂 · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Shenandoah National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Congaree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Worm Snake sighting in Washington on a given day, based on 251 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 11th most-seen of the 25 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Worm Snake in Washington on a given day, against under 5% in December to February, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Worm Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Washington, in our data
Washington is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Eastern Worm Snake sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Eastern Worm Snake that you can see in Washington (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Common Watersnake (about 30%), Eastern/Central Ratsnake Complex (about 20%) and DeKay's Brownsnake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Eastern Worm Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Washington (251 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
