Illegal to harass, kill, collect or possess. This small burrowing snake shares a superficial resemblance to an earthworm. The worm snake is an unpatterned brown snake with a pink belly, pointed head and small eyes. Smooth scales give it a shiny, iridescent quality, and readily distinguish it from brown and redbelly snakes that have keeled scales . Worm snakes appear to mate in the fall.
Females store the sperm over winter and use it to fertilize eggs in the spring or early summer.
Eggs are deposited under rocks or inside mulch piles, rotting logs or stumps. A typical clutch consists of 2-5 small eggs. Eggs laid in June and early July generally hatch in August and September. In Massachusetts, worm snakes have been found only in the southern Connecticut Valley where they prefer areas with sandy soil. Moist woodlands with either sandy or rocky soils provide the best habitat.