[4][5] The smooth earth snake is found from Texas and Iowa to New Jersey and Florida.

Rostral nearly as deep as broad, visible from above; internasals much shorter than the prefrontals; frontal longer than broad, shorter than the parietals; loreal one and a half to two and a half times as long as deep; two or three postoculars; temporals 1+2; six upper labials, third and fourth entering the eye; four lower labials in contact with the anterior chin shields, which are as long as or shorter than the posterior.

[3] The smooth earth snake is a small, fossorial species which spends most of its time buried in loose soil or leaf litter.

The smooth earth snake eats primarily earthworms and soft-bodied arthropods.

[9] Given its lack of sufficient defense mechanisms against larger animals, the smooth earth snake is generally not aggressive towards humans and is harmless if encountered.

[2] Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Virginia.