Ring-headed Dwarf Snake
Eirenis modestus
A small harmless dwarf snake; biologically confirmed in the Georgia checklist.
Overview
What is Ring-headed Dwarf Snake
The ring-headed dwarf snake (Eirenis modestus) is a small, harmless colubrid. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 treat it as a biologically confirmed species and place it in the most basal lineage of dwarf snakes (Pyron et al. 2013). It has a broad Eastern Mediterranean range; in Georgia, eastern and central parts. The subspecies is nominotypical E. m. modestus. A paper figure locality is Tbilisi. It is often confused with the collared dwarf snake (Eirenis collaris).
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Identification
How to identify Ring-headed Dwarf Snake
A small harmless dwarf snake; the English name refers to a head ring or collar.
- 01
Small, slender colubrid — not a large racer.
- 02
Often a dark mark on the head or nape (“ring-headed”).
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Round pupil; non-venomous.
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Confused with E. collaris, which the checklist places in southeastern Georgia.
Quiz
Next: which snake is it?
Ring-headed Dwarf Snake is in the Georgia snake quiz. Ten field photos, four names — eye practice, not field ID.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Ring-headed Dwarf Snake.
Yes. Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026: eastern and central Georgia. A paper figure specimen is from Tbilisi.
Site classification: Harmless. It is a non-venomous dwarf snake.
Both are small harmless Eirenis. E. collaris is named for a collar; the checklist places it in southeastern Georgia, and E. modestus in eastern and central Georgia.
Following Pyron et al. 2013 (cited in the checklist), E. modestus belongs to the most basal lineage of dwarf snakes.
- Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026 — Annotated checklist of Georgia's amphibians and reptiles
- Iankoshvili & Tarkhnishvili 2021 — Georgian herpetofauna records cited in Tarkhnishvili et al. 2026
- 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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