Smooth Earth Snake

Reptiles > Colubrids & Snakes

The Smooth Earth Snake (Virginia valeriae) is a diminutive, highly secretive fossorial serpent native to the deciduous woodlands of the eastern and central United States. Named for its perfectly smooth, glossy dorsal scales that lack keels, this gentle, harmless...

Scarlet Snake

Reptiles > Non-venomous Snakes

The Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea) is an exquisite, secretive burrower native to the sandy pinelands and coastal plains of the American Southeast. Famous for its brilliant, high-contrast tri-color bands of crimson, creamy-yellow, and jet-black, this gentle,...

Great Basin Spadefoot

Amphibians > Spadefoots

The Great Basin Spadefoot (Spea intermontana) is an extraordinary amphibian survivor that thrives in the bone-dry, sagebrush-dominated desert valleys of the North American Intermountain West. Equipped with sharp, black, keratinous ‘spades’ on its hind feet...

Common Worm Snake

Reptiles > Snakes

The Common Worm Snake (Carphophis amoenus), also celebrated as the Eastern Worm Snake, is a secretive, docile burrowing serpent native to the rich, damp hardwood forests of the eastern United States. Looking remarkably like an oversized, glossy earthworm, this...

Mole Salamander

Amphibians > Salamanders

The Mole Salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum) is a heavy-bodied, subterranean amphibian native to the bottomland hardwood forests and Coastal Plain swamps of the southeastern United States. Named for its secretive, burrowing habits, this fascinating species is famous for...