Dekay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Storeria, Species: S. dekayi
Widely distributed throughout eastern and central North America, ranging from southern Canada down through the eastern United States to Texas and into parts of Mexico and Central America.
Look up Dekay's Brownsnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Storeria, Species: S. dekayi
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, due to its very wide distribution, high adaptability to human-altered habitats, and large overall population.
Physical Description
Brownish or grayish body with a lighter central dorsal stripe bordered by small, dark spots or dashes. Dark markings are visible behind the eye and on the sides of the head. Scales are strongly keeled with a slender, small-bodied profile.
Size & Dimensions
Typically reaches 20 to 33 cm (8 to 13 inches) in total length, with a maximum recorded length of around 53 cm (21 inches).
Habitat
Highly adaptable, found in deciduous forests, fields, marshes, meadows, and frequently in suburban areas, urban parks, and gardens under debris, logs, or flat stones.
Diet & Feeding
Specializes in eating soft-bodied invertebrates such as slugs, earthworms, and snails, using an active foraging strategy in leaf litter and damp microhabitats.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Mating occurs in spring, and females typically give birth to a litter of 3 to 31 young in late summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, due to its very wide distribution, high adaptability to human-altered habitats, and large overall population.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an effective natural controller of garden pests like slugs and snails, often living in close proximity to human habitations without causing any harm.
Notable Features
Known for specializing in slug and snail prey, possessing specialized jaw adaptations to extract snails from their shells.