Worm snakes eat earthworms. The eastern worm snake (Carphophis amoenus) and its relatives also eat slugs, soft-bodied insects and insect larvae, which they find by tunneling through damp soil and leaf litter.
What Worm Snakes Eat
- Earthworms: their main food by far.
- Slugs and snails: eaten where they find them.
- Soft-bodied insects and larvae: grubs, caterpillars and fly larvae.
Worm snakes are small, glossy and brown, often only 7 to 11 inches long, with a pink belly and a pointed head for burrowing. They spend most of their time underground or under logs and rocks.
How They Find Food
They hunt by smell, flicking the tongue to follow worm trails below the surface. Because they live in moist soil, they are most active in spring and fall, and after rain.
Are They Good Pets?
Worm snakes are harmless, but they are very delicate and secretive, and they often struggle in captivity. They need damp, deep soil and cool temperatures, and many refuse to eat in a typical terrarium. They are better left in the wild. In many places it is also illegal to collect wild snakes, so check local rules.
If You Do Care for One
- Use a deep layer of moist, pesticide-free soil and leaf litter.
- Offer small earthworms from a bait or worm supplier, once or twice a week.
- Keep the enclosure cool and humid, not hot.
- Contact a reptile veterinarian if the snake stops eating.
Egg-Eating Snakes Are Different
Some snakes, such as the African egg-eating snake, feed only on bird eggs. Worm snakes are not egg-eaters. For other small snakes, see ringneck snake food and what baby black snakes eat.
Bottom Line
Worm snakes live on earthworms, slugs and soft insect larvae. They are secretive and harmless, and the best way to enjoy them is to leave them in your garden soil and avoid pesticides.
