You are here » home › advanced search › Virginia valeriae

Virginia valeriae BAIRD & GIRARD, 1853

IUCN Red List - Virginia valeriae - Least Concern, LC
iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Virginia valeriae?

Add your own observation of
Virginia valeriae »

Find more photos by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaColubridae (Natricinae), Colubroidea, Caenophidia, Alethinophidia, Serpentes, Squamata (snakes)
SubspeciesVirginia valeriae elegans KENNICOTT 1859
Virginia valeriae pulchra (RICHMOND 1954)
Virginia valeriae valeriae BAIRD & GIRARD 1853 
Common NamesE: Smooth Earth Snake
elegans: Western Earth Snake
pulchra: Mountain Earth Snake
valeriae: Eastern Earth Snake
G: Glatte Erdschlange 
SynonymVirginia valeriae BAIRD & GIRARD 1853: 127
Carphophis harperti DUMÉRIL, BIBRON & DUMÉRIL 1854: 135
Virginia elegans KENNICOTT 1859: 99
Virginia valeriae — GARMAN 1884: 98
Virginia elegans— GARMAN 1884: 98
Virginia harperti — GARMAN 1884: 99
Virginia valeriae — COPE 1900: 1006
Haldea valeriae — CAMPBELL 1962
Virginia valeriae — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 173
Virginia valeriae — CROTHER 2000
Virginia valeriae valeriae — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000
Virginia valeriae — ERNST & ERNST 2003: 448
Virginia valeriae — WALLACH et al. 2014: 789
Virginia valeriae valeriae — GUYER et al. 2018

Virginia valeriae elegans KENNICOTT 1859
Virginia elegans KENNICOTT 1859: 99
Virginia elegans — JAN 1865
Virginia elegans — GARMAN 1884: 98
Virginia elegans — COPE 1900: 1007
Virginia valeriae elegans — ALLEN 1932
Haldea valeriae elegans — EDGREN & WARD 1952
Virginia valeriae elegans — DIXON 2000
Virginia valeriae elegans — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 67
Virginia valeriae elegans — GUYER et al. 2018

Virginia valeriae pulchra (RICHMOND 1954)
Haldea valeriae pulchra RICHMOND 1954
Haldea valeriae pulchra — COOPER 1967
Virginia valeriae pulchra — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 174
Virginia pulchra — COLLINS 1991
Virginia valeriae pulchra — CROTHER 2000
Virginia valeriae pulchra — TENNANT & BARTLETT 2000: 65
Virginia pulchra — MESHAKA & COLLINS 2009
Virginia valeriae pulchra — CROTHER et al. 2012 
DistributionUSA (Texas, E Oklahoma, Louisiana, Indiana, Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, N Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, SE Iowa, E Kansas, S Ohio, Maryland, District of Columbia, Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania)

elegans: USA (Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Texas); Type locality: Heavily timbered regions of southern Illinois.

pulchra: USA (Unglaciated mountains and high plateaus of W Pennsylvania and adj. Maryland into NE West Virginia).

valeriae: USA (New Jersey to South Carolina, west to Alabama, Ohio and Tennessee); Type locality: Kent County, Maryland.  
Reproductionovovivparous 
TypesHolotype: USNM 1962, Collected by Miss V. Blaney in 1847.
Holotype: lost, presumed to be lost by Blanchard (1923), given as Chicago Academy of Sciences (CA) 126 by Pisani(1972), an adult male collected by 'Kennicott" (Kennicott, 1859, gave collectors as H. McVean and J.W, Waugh), date of collection unknown (fide Powerll et al. 1992) [elegans]
Holotype: CM 32205 (= Carnegie Museum), an adult female collected by N. Richmond on 10August 1953 [pulchra] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis (genus): “Rather small; body stout; belly broad; head distinct from the neck, subconical, depressed; tail short, thick, tapering to a point. Eye medium, pupil round. Crown-shields eight or nine. Internasals two or one. Nostril anterior, in the anterior portion of the divided nasal. Loreal and anteorbital united. Prefrontal entering the orbit. Postorbitals two. Anal and subcaudals bifid. Scales smooth or keeled, in 15 to 17 rows.” (Garman 1884: 99)


Additional details (2247 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentSubspecies: Virginia valeriae pulchra has been elevated to species status. Collins (1991), in a peer-reviewed article, recommended that this previously defined, diagnosed, and allopatric taxon be recognized as a distinct species, a more conservative taxonomy than that in previous use. Collins (1997) presented this proposed change to his snake systematist group, composed of John E. Cadle, Brian I. Crother, Harry W. Greene, L. Lee Grismer, James A. MacMahon, James R. McCranie, and Samuel S. Sweet, and the majority of those individuals responding recommended that pulchra be so recognized. Collins (1997) followed that recommendation. [from: http://eagle.cc.ukans.edu/~cnaar/serpentes.html]. However, other others haven’t accepted species status yet.

Type species: Virginia valeriae BAIRD & GIRARD 1853: 127 is the type species of the genus Virginia BAIRD & GIRARD 1853.

Key: Garman 1884: 97 has a key to the then recognized 5 species of Virginia. 
EtymologyNamed after Valeria Biddle Blaney (1828-1856), first cousin of Spencer Fullerton Baird, and collector of the type.

The genus was probably named after the US state of Virginia or some person of the same name. Baird and Girard do not provide any explanation for the name. 
References
  • Allen, Morrow J. 1932. A survey of the Amphibians and reptiles of Harrison County, Mississippi. American Museum Novitates (542): 1-20 - get paper here
  • Anthony, Travis 2019. Herpetological Survey of Appomattox-Buckingham State Forest and Holliday Lake State Park, 30 September, 2018. Catesbeiana 39 (1): 3-9 - get paper here
  • Baird, S. F. and C. Girard. 1853. Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part 1.-Serpents. Smithsonian Inst., Washington, xvi + 172 pp. - get paper here
  • Beane, J C 2019. New geographic distribution records for reptiles from North Carolina, USA. Herpetological Review 50 (3): 538-542 - get paper here
  • Bender, Michael J. 2014. Geographic Distribution: Virginia valeriae (smooth earthsnake). Herpetological Review 45 (3): 467 - get paper here
  • Beolens, Bo; Michael Watkins, and Michael Grayson 2011. The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, USA - get paper here
  • Blem, Charles R.;Blem, Leann B. 1985. Notes on Virginia (Reptilia: Colubridae) in Virginia. Brimleyana 11: 87-95 - get paper here
  • BRAIS, ANTHONY O. B 2021. Geographic distribution: VIRGINIA VALERIAE (Smooth Earthsnake). USA: TENNESSEE: Maury Co. Herpetological Review 52 (1): 89. - get paper here
  • Burbrink FT, Futterman I. 2019. Female‐ biased gape and body-size dimorphism in the New World watersnakes (tribe: Thamnophiini) oppose predictions from Rensch's rule. Ecol Evol. 00:1–10
  • Campbell, H. W. 1962. An extension of the range of Haldea valeriae in Florida. Copeia 1962 (2): 438-439 - get paper here
  • Camper, Jeffrey D. 2019. The Reptiles of South Carolina. University of South Carolina Press, 288 pp. [review in Copeia 107 (3): 590, 2019] - get paper here
  • Christiansen, James L. 1973. The distribution and variation of the western earth snake, Virginia valeriae elegans (Kennicott) in Iowa. Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science 80:
  • Collins J T 1991. Viewpoint: a new taxonomic arrangement for some North American amphibians and reptiles. Herpetological Review 22 (2): 42-43 - get paper here
  • Collins J T 1997. Standard Common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles, 4th edition. Herpetological Circular 25: 1-40
  • Collins, J.T. 1962. Notes on Virginia Valeriae Baird & Girard in Kentucky Herpetologica 18 (2): 136-137. - get paper here
  • Collins, J.T. & Collins, S.L. 2009. A pocket guide to Kansas snakes, 2nd ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, 69 pp.
  • Collins, J.T. & Collins, S.L. 2010. A pocket guide to Kansas snakes, 3rd ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, 69 pp.
  • Conant, Roger 1936. Virginia valeriae valeriae in Pennsylvania. Herpetologica 1 (1): 17 - get paper here
  • Conant, Roger 1938. The Reptiles of Ohio. American Midland Naturalist 20 (1): 1-200 - get paper here
  • Conant,R. & Collins,J.T. 1991. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern/Central North America, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin (Boston/New York), xx + 450 p.
  • Cooper, J. E. 1967. The snake Haldea valeriae pulchra in Maryland. Bull. Maryland Herp. Soc. 3 (4): 101 - get paper here
  • Cope, E.D. 1900. The crocodilians, lizards and snakes of North America. Ann. Rep. U.S. Natl. Mus. 1898: 153-1270 - get paper here
  • Cox, C R & Cox, C L; 2019. Geographic Distribution: Virginia valeriae (Smooth Earthsnake) USA: Georgia: Bulloch Co. Herpetological Review 50 (3): 532 - get paper here
  • Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92
  • Dixon, James R. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of Texas, second edition. Texas A&M University Press, 421 pp.
  • Dorcas, M.E. 2005. A Guide to the Snakes of North Carolina. Ophidian Publishers, 42 pp. - get paper here
  • Duméril, A.M.C., G. BIBRON & A.H.A. DUMÉRIL 1854. Erpétologie générale ou Histoire Naturelle complète des Reptiles. Vol. 7 (partie 1). Paris, xvi + 780 S. - get paper here
  • Dundee, H.A., & Rossman, D.A. 1989. The amphibians and reptiles of Louisiana. Louisiana St. Univ. Press, Baton Rouge 300 pp.
  • Edgren, Richard A.;Ward, Daniel B. 1952. The western ground snake, Haldea valeriae elegans, in Indiana. Natural History Miscellanea (95): 1-3
  • Edmond, Brian S. 1993. Virginia valeriae (Smooth Earth Snake). USA: Missouri. Herpetological Review 24 (2): 69 - get paper here
  • Eli, John, and Ben Haines-Eitzen, Justin Lee, David Lee, and George R. Pisani 2015. Effects of Drought on Two Small Kansas Snakes. IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians 22 (4): 153-159 - get paper here
  • Enge, Kevin M. 2009. Venomous and non-venomous snakes of Florida. Publication of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. 16 pp.
  • Ernst, C.H. & Ernst, E.M. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, 668 pp.
  • Ernst, C.H., & Barbour, R.W. 1989. Snakes of eastern North America. George Mason Univ. Press, Fairfax, VA 282 pp.
  • Garman, Samuel 1884. The reptiles and batrachians of North America. Mem. Mus. comp. Zool, Cambridge (Massachusetts), 8 (3): xxxiv + 185 pp. [1883] [CNAH reprint 10] - get paper here
  • Gibson, Jason; Paul Sattler and Matthew Becker 2019. Results of the Thirteenth Annual HerpBlitz: The Cedars Natural Area Preserve, Lee County, Virginia. Catesbeiana 39 (2): 57-69 - get paper here
  • Green, N.B., & Pauley, T.K. 1987. Amphibians and reptiles in West Virginia. Univ. of Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, 241 pp.
  • Guyer, Craig; Mark A. Bailey, and Robert H. Mount 2018. Lizards and snakes of Alabama. University of Alabama Press, 397 pp. - get paper here
  • Hay, W. P. 1902. A list of the batrachians and reptiles of the District of Columbia and vicinity. Proc. Biol. Soc, Washington 15: 121-145 - get paper here
  • Holt, B.D. & Guinane, C. 2017. Geographic Distribution: Virginia valeriae (Smooth Earthsnake). Herpetological Review 48 (3): 592. - get paper here
  • Hulbert, Austin and Hall, Joshua M. 2017. Geographic Distribution: Virginia valeriae elegans (Western Smooth Earthsnake). Herpetological Review 48 (1): 132 - get paper here
  • Jan, G. 1865. Iconographie générale des ophidiens. 12. Livraison. J.B. Bailière et Fils, Paris - get paper here
  • Jensen, John B.; Bailey, Mark A. 1995. Virginia valeriae. Herpetological Review 26 (4): 210 - get paper here
  • Jensen, John B.; Carlos D. Camp, Whit Gibbons, & Matt J. Elliott 2008. Amphibians and reptiles of Georgia. University of Georgia Press, 575 pp.
  • Jessee, L.D. 2017. Geographic Distribution: Virginia valeriae valeriae (Eastern Smooth Earthsnake). Herpetological Review 48 (3): 592. - get paper here
  • Kennicott, R. 1859. Notes on Coluber calligaster of Say, and a description of a new species of Serpents in the collection of the north Western University of Evanston,Ill. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 11: 98-100 - get paper here
  • Kessler, Eric M. 1997. Geographic Distribution. Virginia valeriae. Herpetological Review 28 (2): 99 - get paper here
  • Linzey, D.W., & Clifford, M.J. 1981. Snakes of Virgina. Univ. Press of Virginia, Charlottesville 159 pp.
  • Mann, Roger and Angel Shepard. 2014. Geographic Distribution: Virginia valeriae (smooth earthsnake). Herpetological Review 45 (1): 97 - get paper here
  • Meshaka Jr, Walter E.;, Jane Netting Huff & Robert C. Leberman 2008. Amphibians and Reptiles of Powdermill Nature Reserve in Western Pennsylvania. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (25): 12-18 - get paper here
  • Meyers, Charles W. 1962. Ontogenetic color variation of the snake Virginia valeriae. Herpetologica 18 (4): 273-274 - get paper here
  • Miller, Brian T. 1995. Virginia valeriae. Herpetological Review 26 (3): 157 - get paper here
  • Miller, Brian T.;Miller, Joyce L. 1994. Virginia valeriae (smooth earth snake). USA: Tennesee. Herpetological Review 25 (4): 168 - get paper here
  • Mitchell, J. C. & Reay, K.K. 1999. Atlas of amphibians and reptiles in Virginia. Specialty Publication 1, VA Dept of Game and Fisheries, 122 pp. - get paper here
  • Mitchell, J.C. 1994. The reptiles of Virginia. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, ca. 350 pp.
  • Myers, C.W. 1963. Ontogenetic Color Variation of the Snake Virginia Valeriae Herpetologica 18 (4): 273-274. - get paper here
  • Ogletree, K. A. and M. J. Bender 2017. Geographic Distribution: Virginia valeriae (Smooth Earth Snake). Herpetological Review 48 (2): 393 - get paper here
  • Owen, Dustin A. S., James P. Flaherty, K. H. Wild, Jonathan S. Clinger and C. M. Gienger. 2016. Geographic Distribution: Virginia valeriae elegans (Western Smooth Earthsnake). Herpetological Review 47 (2): 267 - get paper here
  • O’Shea, M. 2018. The Book of Snakes. Ivy Press / Quarto Publishing, London, - get paper here
  • Palmer, W.M. & Braswell, A.L. 1995. Reptiles of North Carolina. Univ. North Carolina Press
  • Pisani, G. R. 1972. Remarks on the holotype of Virginia valeriae elegans (Kennicott). Herpetologica 28 (4): 348 - get paper here
  • Pisani, George R. 1971. An Unusually Large Litter of Virginia valeriae pulchra. Journal of Herpetology 5 (3-4): 207-208 - get paper here
  • Pisani, George R.;Collins, Joseph T. 1971. The smooth earth snake, Virginia valeriae (Baird and Girard), in Kentucky. Transactions of the Kentucky Academy of Sciences 32 (1/2): 16-25
  • Powell R; Collins J T; Fish L D 1992. Virginia valeriae. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 552: 1-6 - get paper here
  • Pyron, R.Alexander; Frank T. Burbrink 2009. Neogene diversification and taxonomic stability in the snake tribe Lampropeltini (Serpentes: Colubridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 52 (2): 524-529 - get paper here
  • Richmond, N. D. 1954. The ground snake Haldea valeriae in Pennsylvania and West Virginia with description of new subspecies. Annals of the Carnegie Museum 33 (15): 251-260
  • Rossman D A; Wallach V 1991. Virginia Baird and Girard. Earth snakes. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles ( 529: 1-4 - get paper here
  • Saenz, Daniel;Collins, Christopher S.;Trees, Toni;Williamson, J. Howard 1999. Geographic distribution. Virginia valeriae. Herpetological Review 30 (1): 56 - get paper here
  • STEVENSON, DIRK J. et al. 2021. New County Records for Amphibians and Reptiles in Georgia, USA. Herpetological Review 52 (2): 350-359
  • Tennant, A. 2003. Snakes of North America - Eastern and Central Regions, revised edition. Lone Star Books, 605 pp.
  • Tennant, A. & Bartlett, R.D. 2000. Snakes of North America - Eastern and Central Regions. Gulf Publishing, Houston, TX, 588 pp.
  • URBANEK, RYAN & HUNTER A. FISK. 2022. Geographic distribution: VIRGINIA VALERIAE (Smooth Earthsnake). USA: NORTH CAROLINA: Person Co. Herpetological Review 53 (3): 448.
  • VanDeWalle, Terry 2022. The Natural History of the Snakes and Lizards of Iowa. University of Iowa Press, Iowa City, Iowa, 384 pp. ISBN: 978-1- 609388-37-9. [review in HR 54 (1): 151] - get paper here
  • Walker, C. 1931. Notes on Reptiles in the Collection of the Ohio State Museum. Copeia 1931 (1): 9-13 - get paper here
  • Wallach, Van; Kenneth L. Williams , Jeff Boundy 2014. Snakes of the World: A Catalogue of Living and Extinct Species. [type catalogue] Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, 1237 pp.
  • Werler, John E. & James R. Dixon 2000. Texas Snakes. University of Texas Press, 544 pages
  • Westing, A.H. 1961. Northerly Range Extension for the Smooth Earth Snake, Virginia valeriae Herpetologica 17 (2): 144. - get paper here
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:


Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator