Florida eastern glass snake

Question
Hi Donna, I am pretty certain of the answer to this question, but to put my wifes worries to rest, our cat brought us a small glass snake the other day and just worried it a little without hurting it, she is worried that it might be poisonous or would bite, ....do they?..thank you

Answer
Believe it or not, a glass snake is not a snake at all.  It's actually a legless lizard.  Lizards with serious venom are extremely rare (only the gila monster, beaded lizard, and a few monitor species have venom of any concern).

You can tell a lizard from a snake by the fact that legless lizards have eyelids, and snakes' eyes are covered by a clear scale, and have no lids.

So, your glass snake is completely harmless.  Do be certain that the lizard did not suffer any scratches or other open wounds--if so, it should be taken to a wildlife rehabilitator, because cats have dangerous bacteria in their mouths, which can prove deadly to reptiles and birds.