The red-bellied snake is usually less than 12 inches in length, living on earthworms, slugs and possibly insects. When born they measure less than 3 inches and can coil up on a dime with room to spare. We finally succeeded in putting this one into a small match box but it was a job. His hard smooth scales made him slippery as an eel. We took him to Trailside Museum and dumped him out on the glass top of a showcase where he wriggled and skidded in vain attempts to escape.
Snakes require a surface with obstructions and some roughness in order to travel.
Try putting a snake on loose sand and watch it crawl. Every part of its belly touches the ground and it flows along in a series of S- curves. On the back of each curve you will notice the sand has been pushed up. The body pivots and pushes sidewise against these piles and is propelled forward. They swim in water with the same motion.