Earthworm or baby snake?

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

When I removed a brick that was lying there for a year, I noticed this slimy thing. It was shiny and almost silver-gray. It seemed to have a design on the body. Earthworm is white, but it was, I think different. What could this be? Is it any use to the soil or does it pose any danger?

Thumbnail by Dinu
Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

As I was taking the picture, I noticed it was going into a hole - its own passage I reckon. Sloooop, it went in like a sphagetti going into the kid's mouth, though slowly!

Thumbnail by Dinu
Fairmont, WV(Zone 6a)

I have NO idea what snaky things live over in India, but that doesn't look like an earthworm to me...earthworms have pretty distinct segments (rings) and snakes have scales and aren't slimy. Actually, my first thought was that your beastie was a caecilian--a type of blind, legless amphibian. Some species are that shade of silver gray. They burrow in the soil and are completely harmless to humans (I think they eat bugs, but would have to check).

pam

Fairmont, WV(Zone 6a)

Check out the sites below...

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-caecilian.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecilian
http://www.gymnophiona.org/ (yes an entire site devoted to these critters...amazing what you can find online... :) )

pam

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

Thanks Pam. Will check out the links tomorrow.
Dinu

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