Clonophis

Clonophis is a genus in the family Colubridae, the largest snake family on Earth. It contains a single species, Clonophis kirtlandii, known as Kirtland's snake. It belongs to the group of New World natricine snakes, the same lineage that includes the common water snakes and garter snakes, and it shares their general body plan: keeled scales that give the back a rough texture, a divided anal scale, and a build suited to damp, low ground rather than open water or dry uplands.

Kirtland's snake lives in the central and midwestern United States, in and around states such as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, and Michigan. It favors wet prairies, marsh edges, damp meadows, and the moist margins of streams and ditches, and it spends much of its time hidden under rocks, boards, logs, and other debris. It is an adult of modest size, typically around 14 to 24 inches long, with a slender body, a brown to reddish back marked by rows of dark blotches, and a notably brick-red or pinkish belly bordered by a row of round black spots. That spotted belly is its clearest field mark within its range.

This snake is harmless. It is non-venomous and poses no danger to people. It is shy and reclusive, far more likely to flatten its body and hide than to bite, and it relies on cover and crayfish burrows for shelter. Its diet centers on earthworms and slugs, the soft soil-dwelling prey common in the wet ground it inhabits. Like its natricine relatives, it gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs, producing small litters in late summer. Habitat loss from the draining of wetlands has made Kirtland's snake uncommon across much of its range, and it is a species of conservation concern in several states. As with any wild animal, observe it without handling and leave it undisturbed. If a bite from any snake ever causes concern, contact US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or local emergency services.