Where are the herpetologists when you need one?

I saw these little snakes for the first time last year living under rocks around my garden beds. I have seen shed skins for years but never saw the actual animal. I looked them up and think they are rough earth snakes, small and harmless really. I have little experience with snakes and know nothing of those native to TX, except rattlers of course. Can someone help me ID this little guys? I was out taking off the wires around some decomposed hay bails when I pulled up a whole den of them. I put them back and covered them with more hay. Now my issue is how do I prepare this bed for spring without disturbing them further or god forbid chopping one up with a shovel or hoe!

another pic, they are about 6-10 inches long. The smallest one was about the size of a large earth worm

Your ID is correct, it's a rough earth snake. I would just move them to another protected location.

Hopefully they will move on their own when it warms up some. The one good thing is I am not afraid to pick them up if I have to move them.
C

they eat earthworms, the kids love playing with them, but they are bashful, tiny things. they also keep the earth aerated, so are worth the worm, chuckl

The hay was probably a warm spot for them, it is after all, breeding season for snakes. Look for a deep leafy pocket, or a shed to move them closer to - mine were always haunting my rabbit cages underneath, damper there, lots of food in the compost underneath

Breeding season...well there were a lot congrugated in one area. I read they have live birth. I also was thinking of bringing one in to school as a pet, after they warm up a bit. Do you think they can survive without a winter sleep?
C

Like an alligator, dormant in Jan. They make exceptionally good terrarium school snakes, mist with a water sprayer in low humidity, get their liquad from the earthworms, night crawlers diet. temps I don't remember, 70's I think