It's not a worm

If you don't know what kind of snake it is, don't touch it. Leave it alone.

While turning over leaf litter on the forest floor on July 30, I saw this little snake crawling quickly away. I knew immediately what kind of snake it was.

The western worm snake is a very small snake that looks a lot like an earthworm and also eats earthworms. It is native to eastern Oklahoma, eastern Nebraska, most of the western half of Arkansas and most of Missouri. When I checked the distribution of this snake, I found that it has never been recorded found in Scott County where I found it.

The red belly accompanied by a dark gray back and small size are the main identification factors of this snake. It also has a special scale design. Venomous baby rattlesnakes and copperheads that can be found in the same environment have a camouflage design that easily sets them apart from the western worm snake. Be careful not to pick up a small snake unless you are 100% sure it is non-venomous!