Although it is true that snakes often find their home in holes, most often they are not the creators and builders of these holes. Usually, they will inhabit empty holes/homes of other animals that have dug these
holes and then left them. Rodents usually create elaborate holes in the ground for their homes, with several exits for safety matters. Often snakes will not only take these holes for themselves but also eat its constructor.
Do snakes dig holes in the ground? No, they aren't able to dig, but they can sometimes shimmy under loose soil. Do snakes dig holes in mulch? No, but some species can push their way under mulch. They may be able to Snakes also find homes in hollow tree trunks, beneath rocks, leaves and barks.
Many snake specials will find their way through a litter of leaves or very soft soil (such as sand or mud), but there is almost no snake species that can dig through hard dirt and create a hole to be their home. In certain cases, when snakes live in areas with very loose lands, such as sandy areas in Africa or Asia as well as Australian deserts, they will dig and excavate sand to find places for themselves. However, this can be considered as burying themselves instead of digging a hole.
Snakes are animals that spend lots of time going away and hiding from their enemies. They will look for the best possible habitat to achieve this mission. For example, a black rat snake will spend time in hollow trees above the ground to hide; a scarlet king snake will live underneath the bark of a pine tree; and a brown snake will find their home under many different appropriate covers, such as logs, a litter of leaves, bark, and rocks that are large enough. The same goes for a ringneck snake. Basically, the most important mission for the snake when we speak of their home is to find locations and surroundings that will enable them to feel secure and safe. They feel that way when their back is against the top of their cover, retreat or hole. In this way, they don't spend much time on one location; they will rarely feel a connection to one spot and will accept spending the night in any spot that satisfies their need for security in the particular moment.
You can be sure that a snake has gone into one hole if the entrance to the hole is free of debris, spider webs or fallen leaves – so be careful when investigating such holes. It isn't definite that a snake is inside, but it is better to be safe then sorry.
For more information about whether snakes dig holes, go to my Snake Removal - How to Get Rid of Snakes home page.