Red-Bellied Snake

The Red-Bellied Snake is a small, secretive colubrid widely distributed across eastern and central North America. It is easily identified by the vivid red, orange, or salmon coloration of its underside, contrasting with a duller brown or gray back.

This species is completely harmless to humans and non-venomous, spending most of its time hidden in leaf litter and rarely encountered in the open.

• Small body, typically 20-25 cm (8-10 in) long
• Back is brown, gray, or nearly black, sometimes with faint stripes
• Belly is bright red, orange, or occasionally yellow, a distinctive field mark
• Three pale spots on the neck behind the head in many individuals
• Keeled dorsal scales and a small head barely wider than the neck

The combination of small size and a bright red belly readily separates this species from other small brown snakes in its range.

This species inhabits deciduous and mixed forests, bogs, and forest edges with abundant leaf litter, logs, and moist soil. It ranges across much of the eastern and central United States and southern Canada, often found under logs, bark, or rocks.

The Red-Bellied Snake is secretive and most active during warm, humid weather, including at dusk. It feeds primarily on slugs and earthworms, using specialized teeth to grip slippery prey. When threatened, it may curl its lip upward in a defensive display revealing the red belly. It gives live birth to small litters of young in late summer.