Snakes
New study: how accurately do we know where Georgia's snakes occur?
A new Ecology and Evolution study shows how incomplete records can change estimates of the Area of Occupancy for snakes in Georgia.
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The collared eirenis (Eirenis collaris) is a small snake found in southeastern Georgia. It belongs to the colubrid family (Colubridae). The 2026 Georgian list treats its presence in Georgia as confirmed. The subspecies found here is E. c. collaris. A snake mentioned in the list is from Taribana in Dedoplistskaro Municipality. Adults of this species are usually less than 40 cm long. The longest measured snake was about 40 cm. It has no venom and is harmless to people. The IUCN considers it at low risk of extinction (Least Concern). It is often confused with the gentle eirenis (Eirenis modestus), which the same list associates with eastern and central Georgia. Do not expect to find the collared eirenis in every part of Georgia.
Identification
How to identify Collared Dwarf Snake
It is a small, slender, nonvenomous snake with round pupils and a dark collar around its neck. Its back is olive or light brown. It is neither a viper nor a worm-like blind snake.
Often confused with
Its body is slender and short. It looks more like a small snake than a large racer snake. The head is not clearly distinct from the neck, the tip of the snout is rounded, and the pupil is round. The scales on its back are smooth. Around the middle of its body, it often has 15 rows of scales, sometimes 15–17. The quiet eirenis often has 17–18 rows there. Do not pick up a snake to count its scales. Adults are usually less than 40 cm long. The longest measured snake was about 40 cm.
The back is olive or light brown; each scale often has a pale center and a dark edge. A dark, collar-like band on the neck narrows toward the underside. This is where its Georgian name comes from. Sometimes a faint band runs across the head, with two spots on the back of the head. The belly is yellowish white. The Turkish subspecies E. c. macrospilotus has a row of dark spots on its back. The subspecies listed for Georgia is E. c. collaris.
The modest eirenis (Eirenis modestus) looks similar to this species but is larger, though it is usually under 70 cm long. In adults, the collar-like band around the neck often fades. The modest eirenis is listed in the east and central areas, while this species is listed in the southeast (Dedoplistskaro, Taribana). The smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) has a thicker body and two rows of small spots along its back. It is more often found at forest edges and in damp places. The blind snake (Xerotyphlops vermicularis) looks like a worm and has small eyes. The cat snake (Telescopus fallax) has vertical pupils.
It is not venomous. Its pupil is round. A pupil shaped like a vertical slit points to a viper or a gyurza. If you encounter it, keep your distance and do not pick it up: even a small nonvenomous snake can be easily injured, and an unfamiliar snake may be venomous.
The 2026 list includes it as a confirmed species. The subspecies named here has the same name as the species: E. c. collaris. The specimen mentioned is from Taribana, in Dedoplistskaro Municipality. In Georgia, it is found in the southeast, but not throughout the country. It is often confused with the meek eirenis (Eirenis modestus), which the list associates with eastern and central Georgia.
Gallery
Collared Dwarf Snake in photos
A 2026 list places it in southeastern Georgia. The specimen shown in the figure is from Taribana, Dedoplistskaro. This atlas’s map marks Kakheti, Tbilisi and Kvemo Kartli. These markings are based on the wording of the list, the Taribana specimen and photos on the site from the Yagluja Hills; they are not a complete list of municipalities. Confidence in the distribution shown on the map is moderate. No specific location in western Georgia or Colchis is named here. In general, this species lives in dry, rocky or semi-desert areas, on soft soil containing stones and sand, and on grassy slopes in oak woods. It is often found under a stone or mound of earth, or in a crevice; it is sometimes found alongside blind snakes. The range of elevations at which it occurs in Georgia has not been published separately. Taribana and Yagluja are associated with lowlands and foothills. Published accounts of the species give an elevation of up to about 1,700 metres above sea level, but this should not be taken as an elevation recorded in Georgia. Its range includes eastern Turkey, the South Caucasus, Dagestan, Iraq and western Iran. The material used for the original description of the species came from Beshbarmag on the Caspian coast (Azerbaijan), not from Georgia.
Biology
Diet, behavior, and conservation
Diet
There is no separate study from Georgia on this species’ diet. Reports of what it eats include scorpions, centipedes, worms, beetles and other insects, as well as spiders and small lizards. It mainly eats animals without backbones that live under stones. It has no venom and catches prey with its mouth.
Behavior
It hides. In the heat of the day, it often stays under stones or beneath the soil. No separate information has been published on the times of day and seasons when it is active in Georgia. The photos mentioned in this atlas were taken in May and July. According to published information about the species, it lays 4–8 eggs in summer. The young hatch in August–September and are about 10–13 cm long. There are no separate data from Georgia on when it mates or how many eggs it lays at one time. Its winter shelter in Georgia has not been described separately. There are reports of snakes of this species spending winter together underground. When threatened, it usually flees. Do not pick it up — it has no venom, but even a small snake can bite. In the same dry southeastern area, you may encounter the peaceful eirenis, the copper snake, the blind snake and, rarely, the cat-eyed snake. Their pupils, size and neck markings can help tell them apart.
Conservation
It is assessed as being at low risk globally (Least Concern, LC): it has a wide range, and no specific global threat has been singled out. It is not included in Georgia’s 2014 Red List. Among snakes, that list includes Dinnik’s viper and the Caucasian viper. Its presence is confirmed in the 2026 list, although information about its distribution is rated as moderately precise. Information about it in Georgia is still limited: Taribana is the only place specifically named. The reference to its occurrence in the southeast is a general indication in the list, not a complete map of its range. Locally, it is threatened by changes to its habitat and by people killing it after mistaking it for a venomous snake. Do not pick it up.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Collared Dwarf Snake.
Yes. The 2026 list considers the species’ presence in southeastern Georgia confirmed. The location named is Taribana, in Dedoplistskaro. This does not mean the species occurs throughout Georgia.
In the southeast, it is found in dry, rocky places, often under stones. This atlas map shows Kakheti, Tbilisi and Kvemo Kartli. A scientific record names Taribana as a location, while the photo is from the Yagluja hills. No specific locations in the west or Colchis are given here. Information about its distribution is considered moderately reliable.
No, it has no venom. It usually flees when threatened. Even a small snake can bite, so don’t pick it up. A vertical pupil points to a viper or a gyurza.
This is a small, slender snake with round pupils and smooth scales. Its back is olive or light brown, and it has a dark collar-like band on its neck. In adult quiet eirenis, this band is often fainter. It has been reported in the east-central part. The blind snake looks like a worm. Do not pick them up to count them.
Adults of this species are usually less than 40 cm long. The greatest measured length is about 40 cm. This page does not give a separate length measurement for Georgia.
Based on what is known about the species, it lays 4–8 eggs in summer. What it eats in Georgia has not been studied separately. In general, it eats mainly insects and other animals without backbones that live under rocks. It occasionally eats a small lizard too.
No separate hour-by-hour calendar has been published for Georgia. It may be found under stones in dry places during the warm season. The photos in this atlas were taken in May and July.
Both are small, nonvenomous Eirenis snakes. The collared one has a more distinct collar and is usually shorter than the quiet one. The collared one is listed in the southeast, while the quiet one is listed in the east and center. Around the middle of the body, the collared one often has 15 rows of scales, compared with 17–18 for the quiet one. This is not a feature you should pick up a snake to check.
References
Sources
References
Sources
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Distribution of snakes in Georgia
- Mahlow et al. 2013 — Annotated checklist of the genus Eirenis
- Tuniyev et al. 2010 — IUCN Red List account for Eirenis collaris
- საქართველოს მთავრობის დადგენილება №190 (2014) — წითელი ნუსხა
- The Reptile Database
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
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