Groundsnakes are very small, with an adult size in the Cave Creek area of only around a foot in length. They can be difficult to identify by using photographs, since they are highly variable in appearance. They can be banded, striped, red, orange, grey, olive, tan, or any combination of these colors. In Cave Creek specifically, the color phases that we have seen the most often are tan with an orange stripe down the back, or banded orange and black, as in the photo above. As babies, they are very small, only around 3 inches long, and may resemble a Blackheaded Snake until their mature coloration develops.

Groundsnakes are completely harmless, never bite, and cannot hurt a person of any age or any size of pet. They can be mistaken for the Sonoran Coralsnake on occasion, but in general are easy to differentiate by the lack of white or yellow bands.

Groundsnakes are one of the most likely of all snakes in the Cave Creek area to be found inside of homes. They often come through pipes, under sliding doorways and generally find cracks and access to interior areas at a much higher rate than other snakes. The place we have most often been called out to retrive them from is the garage, where they get stuck in glue traps or are found under boxes in the Spring.