That's why they call it "Rough" Earth Snake

Description:

High magnification view of the lateral scales on the Rough Earth Snake (Virginia striatula) I recently photographed (here). I chilled the snake briefly, and then placed it on a stage where I could get some close-ups. (Chilling did not slow it down for very long, but it did freeze when placed in a large tray with no cover under which to hide.)The scales are about 1 mm on the long axis. The scales near the head are smooth, but most of the scales farther back on the body (but not on the belly) have these ridges. Some day I'll find a Smooth Earth Snake for comparison.I just noticed that the little notches at the end of each scale fit neatly over the ridge in the scale below. You can see that the notches are worn--must be from rubbing up and down on the ridge.Virginia_striatulaPCCA20070429-2012A2