Found Snake Eggs in Your Yard? Here Is What to Do

You are turning over mulch, digging in the garden, or moving a compost pile — and you find a cluster of white, leathery eggs. Your first question: are these snake eggs?

Possibly. And if they are, your next question is whether you need to do anything about them. The answer depends on the species, the location, and your specific situation. This guide walks you through everything you need to know.

Snake eggs have several distinctive characteristics that set them apart from bird eggs and other reptile eggs:

Shape: Snake eggs are typically elongated and oval — more like a stretched oval than the rounder shape of most bird eggs. Some species lay eggs that are nearly cylindrical.

Shell texture: Snake eggs have a soft, leathery shell rather than the hard, brittle shell of bird eggs. The shell feels slightly flexible when gently pressed — it will dent rather than crack.

Color: Most snake eggs are white or off-white. Some may have a slightly yellowish or cream tint.

Size: Varies by species. Rat snake eggs are typically 1.5 to 2 inches long. Smaller species lay smaller eggs. King snake eggs are similar in size to rat snake eggs.

Clustering: Snake eggs are often found in clusters of 6 to 30 eggs, sometimes stuck together in a mass. The eggs may be adhered to each other and to the substrate.

Location: Snake eggs are laid in warm, moist, protected locations — under mulch, in compost piles, under logs or boards, in rotting wood, in loose soil, and occasionally in attic insulation or crawlspace debris.

Not all snakes lay eggs. Tennessee's snake species fall into two reproductive categories:

Egg-laying (oviparous) species — these are the snakes whose eggs you might find:

• Black rat snake (eastern rat snake)
• Black racer
• King snakes (eastern king snake, scarlet king snake)
• Hognose snake
• Ring-neck snake
• Rough green snake
• Corn snake
• Milk snake

Live-bearing (viviparous) species — these give birth to live young and do not lay eggs:

• Copperhead
• Cottonmouth
• Timber rattlesnake
• Pygmy rattlesnake
• Garter snake
• Water snakes
• DeKay's brown snake

This is important: Tennessee's venomous snakes — copperheads, cottonmouths, and rattlesnakes — do not lay eggs. They give birth to live young. If you have found eggs in your yard, they were not laid by a venomous species.

By far the most common source of snake eggs found in Middle Tennessee yards and gardens is the black rat snake. Rat snakes are the most common large snake in the region, they are prolific egg-layers (clutches of 12 to 20 eggs are typical), and they favor the warm, moist conditions found in compost piles, mulch beds, and rotting wood.

Black racers also lay eggs in similar locations, though their clutches tend to be smaller (6 to 12 eggs).

King snakes occasionally lay eggs in yards, particularly in areas with abundant cover.

All three of these species are non-venomous and beneficial — they control rodent and other pest populations.

In Middle Tennessee, most egg-laying snake species deposit eggs in June and July. The eggs incubate for approximately 60 to 90 days, with hatchlings emerging in August and September.

If you find eggs in late summer, they may be close to hatching. Freshly laid eggs are typically plump and firm; eggs near hatching may appear slightly deflated or wrinkled as the developing snake absorbs moisture from the egg.

This depends on the location and your specific situation.

In most cases, leaving the eggs alone is the right call. The eggs were laid by a non-venomous species (remember: Tennessee's venomous snakes do not lay eggs), and the hatchlings will be small, harmless snakes that will disperse into the surrounding area and help control rodent and insect populations.

Consider removal if:

• The eggs are inside your home, attic, or crawlspace. Eggs in a structure indicate that an adult snake has been accessing the interior, which warrants an exclusion inspection regardless of species.
• The eggs are in a location where hatchlings would emerge directly into a living space or high-traffic area.
• You have confirmed the eggs are in a location that will be disturbed (a garden bed you need to work in, a compost pile you need to turn).

Do not remove eggs if:

• They are in a natural area of your yard away from the house.
• They are under a log, in a brush pile, or in another natural harborage site.
• You are uncertain about the species — call us first.

Snake eggs that are disturbed or moved have a reduced chance of successful incubation. The eggs need consistent warmth and humidity, and the developing embryo is oriented within the egg in a specific way — turning the egg can disorient the embryo and reduce hatch success.

If you have accidentally disturbed a clutch of eggs and want to give them the best chance of hatching, replace them in the original location in the same orientation as you found them, cover them with the same material that was covering them, and leave them alone.

If you want the eggs removed from your property, call a professional. We can relocate egg clutches to appropriate natural habitat where they have a good chance of hatching successfully.

Lizard eggs: Tennessee has several lizard species (five-lined skink, broad-headed skink, ground skink) that also lay small, white, leathery eggs. Lizard eggs are typically smaller than rat snake eggs — usually under an inch long — and are found in similar locations (under logs, in loose soil, under mulch).

Turtle eggs: Turtle eggs are rounder and more rigid than snake eggs, with a slightly chalky texture. Box turtles and snapping turtles both nest in Tennessee yards. Turtle eggs are typically found in a shallow nest dug in open soil.

Bird eggs: Hard shell, rounder shape, found in a nest structure (even ground-nesting birds build a nest of some kind). Much harder shell than snake or lizard eggs.

Slug eggs: Small, round, translucent or white, found in clusters in moist soil or under debris. Much smaller than snake eggs (typically 3–5mm).

If you find snake eggs in June or July, expect to see hatchlings in August or September. Hatchling rat snakes and racers are 10 to 14 inches long and look quite different from adults:

Hatchling rat snakes are gray-brown with dark blotches — a pattern that closely resembles a copperhead. This causes significant alarm. Key differences: the hatchling rat snake has a more slender head, round pupils, and the blotches are more rectangular and less hourglass-shaped than a copperhead's bands.

Hatchling racers are also blotched, gray-brown, and frequently mistaken for copperheads.

If you find a small, blotched snake in late summer and are unsure of the species, call our identification hotline at (615) 613-5992 before handling it or attempting to remove it.

Finding snake eggs inside your home — in the attic, crawlspace, or basement — is a more significant situation than finding them in the yard. It means:

1. An adult snake has been accessing the interior of your home
2. The snake found the interior warm and protected enough to lay eggs
3. There is likely an entry point that needs to be identified and sealed

In this situation, call Nashville Snake Removal. We will locate and remove the eggs, inspect for the adult snake, and conduct a full exclusion inspection to identify and seal the entry point.

Call us at (615) 613-5992 if:

• You have found eggs inside your home, attic, or crawlspace
• You are unsure whether the eggs are snake eggs or another species
• You want the eggs professionally relocated rather than destroyed
• You are finding hatchling snakes and want a professional assessment
• You want an exclusion inspection to prevent future nesting inside your home

Our 24-hour identification hotline is free. Send us a photo or describe what you are seeing, and we will tell you exactly what you are dealing with.

Nashville Snake Removal serves Davidson, Williamson, Sumner, Wilson, Robertson, Dickson, and Stewart counties. Same-day service available. Call (615) 613-5992.