Page 35 - Arkansas Snake Guide
P. 35

SUZANNE COLLINS  WOODLAND SNAKES
        Eastern & Western Worm Snake
                       Carphophis amoenus & Carphophis vermis
        Range    Crowley’s  Ridge,  Ozark  Plateau,  Ouachita
        Mountains and western Coastal Plain.
        Description  Shiny, smooth scales. Eastern worm snake:
        uniform brown above, belly and one to two scale rows
        above are pink. Western worm snake: purplish black or
        black above, belly and three scale rows above are pink.
        Head  is  flattened  to  aid  in  burrowing. Young  resemble
        adults. Adults 7-11 inches in length.
        Habitat  and  Habits    Inhabits  forests,  rocky,  wooded
        hillsides and forest edges. Active from March-November,
        breeds in spring and fall, lays 1-5 eggs which hatch in August.
        Feeds exclusively on earthworms. A few scattered records
        exist from the Mississippi Delta, but most of the suitable
        habitat in this region has been cleared for agriculture.

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