DeKay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Storeria, Species: Storeria dekayi
Widely distributed throughout eastern and central North America, ranging from southern Canada through the eastern United States down into Mexico and parts of Central America.
Look up DeKay's Brownsnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Storeria, Species: Storeria dekayi
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it is widespread, abundant, and highly adaptable to human-altered environments.
Physical Description
Exhibits a brown or grayish dorsal coloration often featuring a lighter mid-dorsal stripe bordered by small dark spots or dashes. The head is relatively small and distinct from the neck, with dark bars often visible near the temporal region. Scales are keeled, and the body is slender and cylindrical.
Size & Dimensions
This individual appears to be a small juvenile or sub-adult, approximately 20 to 30 cm in length. Typical adults range from 23 to 38 cm, with maximum recorded lengths reaching around 53 cm.
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of habitats including forests, fields, wetlands, and heavily urbanized areas such as suburban gardens and parks. Prefers moist microhabitats under rocks, logs, leaf litter, and debris.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized feeder primarily consuming soft-bodied invertebrates such as slugs, earthworms, and snails. Utilizes an active foraging strategy, locating prey by scent.
Reproduction
Viviparous, giving birth to live young. Mating typically occurs in the spring, and females produce litters ranging from 3 to 30 young in the late summer or early autumn.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with the Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) and juvenile Garter Snakes (Thamnophis spp.). Distinguished by scale counts, lack of prominent lateral stripes, and specific facial markings.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it is widespread, abundant, and highly adaptable to human-altered environments.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important urban ecosystem controller by managing populations of garden pests such as slugs and snails. Often encountered by homeowners due to its affinity for suburban yards.
Notable Features
Remarkably tolerant of human presence, frequently surviving in dense urban environments where other reptile species vanish. Possesses specialized jaw adaptations for extracting snails from their shells.