Most snakes do not dig their own holes. They are renters, not builders. The hole you found in the yard was almost certainly dug by something else, and a snake just moved in after.
I know that sounds backwards, but a snake’s body is built for sliding through existing spaces, not clawing through dirt. Here is how it all works and how to tell what made the hole you are staring at.
Why Snakes Do Not Usually Dig
A true burrower needs tools: strong front legs, claws, a body shape that can brace and shove dirt. Snakes have none of that. They are a tube of muscle with no limbs, so they are great at squeezing into cracks and terrible at excavating.
A few snakes are the exception. Hognose snakes have an upturned, shovel-like snout they use to root through loose soil, and worm snakes can push through soft leaf litter and damp earth. But even these are working loose soil, not carving tunnels the way a rodent does.
The Difference Between a Snake Hole and a Rodent Hole
This is the question everyone actually wants answered, and it is usually answerable if you look at the entrance:
- A dirt mound means a digger. Rodents like mice, rats, voles, and moles leave a fresh pile of excavated dirt at the entrance. Snakes leave no mound because they did not dig anything.
- A snake hole is clean and round, with smooth, worn edges. The opening gets polished by the snake sliding in and out over time.
- Shed skin nearby is a giveaway. If you find a translucent shed near the entrance, a snake has been using it.
- Size is a clue, not proof. Most snake holes in a yard run a couple of inches across, but a snake can use a hole bigger than itself, so size alone will not tell you.
In short: mound of dirt means rodent. No mound, smooth round opening, maybe a shed skin, means something is borrowing the hole, and it might be a snake.
Snake hole in packed soil. Photo: Serge Melki, CC BY 2.0
What a Snake Hole Looks Like
- Circular or oval opening, smooth from repeated use.
- Usually found against a foundation, rock, log, or thick vegetation, not out in the open lawn.
- No excavated dirt piled at the entrance.
- May have a shed skin in or near the opening.
How to Tell If a Hole Is Active
- Look for fresh tracks. A snake leaves an S-shaped trail in dust or mud.
- Check for shed skin. A recent shed near the hole means recent use.
- Watch in warm weather. Snakes are most active in spring and fall.
- Plug it lightly. Loosely stuff the entrance with a crumpled leaf or tissue. If it is pushed aside by the next day, something is using the hole.
One warning I always give: never reach into a hole to check for a snake. You cannot see what or how many are in there. Use a flashlight, a camera, or call someone if you are worried.
For more, read my snake hole identification guide and snake barrier guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
A couple do, in loose soil only. Hognose snakes use their shovel-shaped snout to root around, and worm snakes push through leaf litter and soft earth. But neither digs the kind of tunnel a rodent does.
Look for a dirt mound. Rodents leave one because they dig. Snakes leave a clean, smooth opening with no mound, and often a shed skin nearby. A spider web across the entrance means nothing has used it recently.
Yes. Snakes spend the winter underground in a dormant state called brumation, often in a den shared with other snakes, below the frost line so they do not freeze.
Only after you are sure it is empty. Fill it with dirt or gravel and watch for a few days to see if anything digs it back out. If it is against your foundation, seal it properly with hardware cloth so nothing, snake or rodent, comes back.
Mice, rats, voles, moles, chipmunks, ground squirrels, even turtles and crayfish. Control the rodents and you remove most of the ready-made shelter a snake would use.
The Bottom Line
Snakes do not dig. They move into holes that rodents and other animals already made, which is why a hole with a dirt mound is almost never a snake.
Smooth, round opening, no mound, maybe a shed skin nearby, that is a snake’s borrowed home. Identify it before you reach for a shovel, and never stick your hand in to check.
