Ring-headed Dwarf Snake
Eirenis modestus
A small harmless snake of dry stony ground. Confirmed in Georgia in the east and centre; the named locality is Tbilisi.
Overview
What is Ring-headed Dwarf Snake
The ring-headed dwarf snake (Eirenis modestus) is a small, non-venomous snake of eastern and central Georgia. It belongs to the colubrid family (Colubridae). The 2026 Georgian checklist treats it as biologically confirmed; the subspecies here is nominotypical E. m. modestus. A named specimen is from Tbilisi. The 2021 Georgian snake survey places it among dry-climate species of rocky or grassland settings, mostly in the east. This page has no named western or Colchic locality. Adults are usually under 70 cm; the measured maximum is about 67 cm, and most individuals are smaller. It is harmless to people — it has no venom. IUCN lists it as Least Concern. It is often confused with the collared dwarf snake (Eirenis collaris), which the checklist places in the southeast.
Last updated
Gallery
Ring-headed Dwarf Snake in photos
Photo: Giorgi Iankoshvili
Photo: Armen Seropian
Tbilisi ·
Photo: Zakro Songulashvili
Photo: Papuna Edilashvili
Turtle Lake, Tbilisi ·
Photo: Andro Solomanashvili
Tbilisi ·
Photo: Mary Tculaia
Lisi Lake ·
Photo: Giorgi Iankoshvili
Tbilisi, Nutsubidzis Plato
Photo: Laura and Bobby Bok
Tbilisi
Photo: Roberto Sindaco · iNaturalist
Photo: Tigran Tadevosyan · iNaturalist
Photo: brechtheusequin · iNaturalist
Identification
How to identify Ring-headed Dwarf Snake
A small, slender, non-venomous snake with a round pupil. Adults often have a nearly plain brown or grey back; juveniles show darker bands on the head and neck. It is not a viper and not a worm-like blind snake.
The body is slender and short — a dwarf snake, not a large racer. The head is only weakly set off from the neck; the snout is rounded. The pupil is round. Dorsal scales are smooth. At species level midbody scale rows are usually 17–18 (rarely 19). The collared dwarf snake often has 15 rows at midbody. Do not pick the snake up to count scales. Adults are usually under 70 cm; the measured maximum is about 67 cm.
The back is brown, grey, or reddish-brown, often almost unspotted. Juveniles have dark cross-bands on the head and a crescent-shaped collar on the neck — the source of the English name. In adults the head pattern often fades. The belly is pale. The Anatolian subspecies E. m. semimaculatus has rows of spots along the back; the Georgian checklist names nominotypical E. m. modestus.
The collared dwarf snake (Eirenis collaris) is similar in size but usually keeps a clearer collar; the checklist places it in southeastern Georgia (named locality Taribana, Dedoplistskaro), and this species in the east and centre. The smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) is stouter, has two rows of small dorsal spots, and is more tied to forest edges and moister ground. The worm snake (Xerotyphlops vermicularis) is earthworm-like, with reduced eyes. The European cat snake (Telescopus fallax) has a vertical pupil.
It has no venom. The pupil is round — a vertical slit points to a viper or blunt-nosed viper. If you meet one, keep your distance. Do not pick it up: a small harmless snake is easily injured, and an unknown snake may be venomous.
The 2026 Georgian checklist treats it as biologically confirmed; the subspecies here is nominotypical E. m. modestus. A named specimen is from Tbilisi. It occurs in eastern and central Georgia. This page has no named western or Colchic locality. It is often confused with the collared dwarf snake (Eirenis collaris), which the checklist places in the southeast.
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.
Biology
Habitat, diet, behavior, and conservation
Habitat and range
The 2021 Georgian snake survey treats the species as tied to a dry climate: rocky or grassland sites, mostly in eastern Georgia. The 2026 checklist names eastern and central Georgia; a figure specimen is from Tbilisi. A named photograph is from Turtle Lake in Tbilisi. This atlas marks Tbilisi, Kvemo Kartli, Shida Kartli, Mtskheta — Mtianeti, Kakheti, and Samtskhe — Javakheti — based on that checklist wording and the Tbilisi specimen, not a full list of municipalities. Distribution confidence is medium. There is no named western or Colchic point on this page. Across the species range it lives on dry stony slopes, steppe, sparse shrub, and field edges; by day it often hides under flat stones. A separate Georgian elevation range has not been published. Tbilisi specimens belong to lowland and foothill country. Eastern Anatolian literature cites about 2000 m — that should not be read as a Georgian ceiling. The wider range includes Turkey, the Caucasus, Greek islands, and neighbouring regions; type material is not from Georgia.
Diet
There is no separate Georgian diet study. In western Turkey, stomachs of 14 individuals held mostly insects, other arthropods (including centipedes), and rarely a small lizard. Other literature also lists spiders, scorpions, and small lizards. It feeds mainly on invertebrates that live under stones. It has no venom — prey is seized with the mouth.
Behavior
It is secretive. At species level it is active from about April to November; it hunts at dawn or dusk and is sometimes seen by day. In heat it often stays under stones. Hourly and seasonal calendars have not been published for Georgia. When threatened it usually flees. Do not pick it up — it is not venomous, but even a small snake can bite. It lays eggs; species-level literature cites 3–8 relatively large eggs, usually in June–July. Hatchlings are about 8–12 cm. Mating season and clutch size in Georgia are not measured here. In the same dry east you may also meet the collared dwarf snake (southeast), the smooth snake, the worm snake, and rarely the European cat snake (Telescopus fallax) — pupil, size, and head pattern separate them.
Conservation
IUCN lists it as Least Concern — the range is wide and no specific global threat is singled out. It is not on Georgia’s 2014 Red List; the snakes listed there are Dinnik’s viper and the Caucasus viper. The 2026 checklist treats it as biologically confirmed; distribution accuracy is scored medium. The Georgian picture is still uneven: the named modern locality is Tbilisi, and the east–central range is a checklist summary, not a complete map. Local threats include habitat change and killing after confusion with a venomous snake. Do not pick it up.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short answers to the most important questions about Ring-headed Dwarf Snake.
Yes. The 2026 checklist treats it as biologically confirmed in eastern and central Georgia. The named locality is Tbilisi. Do not expect it throughout the country.
On dry stony or grassy ground, often under stones — in the east and centre. This atlas marks Tbilisi, Kvemo and Shida Kartli, Mtskheta — Mtianeti, Kakheti, and Samtskhe — Javakheti. A named photograph is from Turtle Lake in Tbilisi. There is no named western or Colchic point here. Distribution confidence is medium.
No. It has no venom. When threatened it usually flees. Even a small snake can bite — do not pick it up. A vertical pupil points to a viper or blunt-nosed viper.
A small slender snake, round pupil, smooth scales, often a nearly plain brown or grey back. Juveniles have dark bands on the head and neck. The collared dwarf snake keeps a clearer collar and is listed in the southeast. The worm snake is earthworm-like. Do not pick it up to count scales.
At species level adults are usually under 70 cm; the measured maximum is about 67 cm. Most individuals are smaller. A separate Georgian length series is not on this page.
It lays eggs; species-level literature cites 3–8 eggs, usually in June–July. Diet has not been studied separately in Georgia; in western Turkey it eats mostly insects and other under-stone invertebrates, rarely a small lizard.
At species level from April to November, mainly at dawn and dusk. An hourly calendar has not been published for Georgia; expect the warm season on dry ground under stones.
Both are small harmless Eirenis. The collared species usually keeps a clearer collar; the checklist places it in the southeast and this species in the east and centre. Midbody scale rows are often 15 versus 17–18, but that is not a handling character.
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
- Çiçek & Mermer 2007 — Food of Eirenis modestus in western Turkey
- Bowles 2024 — IUCN Red List account for Eirenis modestus
- 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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