Missouri Animals Western earth snake   (Virginia valeriae elegans) Chordate: Vertebrate: Reptile: Serpentia: Colubridae Native North American snake Habitat: forests, woodlands. Diet: earthworms, slugs, other soft-bodied animals.. ID Features: burnt orange body. Natural History: The western earth snake is a small snake that is very secretive, found only under rocks and logs. They are found on rocky hillsides and moist woods..

The graphics and text are from: The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri by Tom R. Johnson, Missouri Department of Conservation, ©1992