Brown Snake
Storeria dekayi • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Storeria, Species: Storeria dekayi
Eastern and central North America, ranging from southern Canada through the eastern United States down to Mexico and parts of Central America.
Look up Brown Snake 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, adaptable, and has stable populations across most of its range.
Physical Description
Small, slender body with brown or grayish coloration, a lighter mid-dorsal stripe bordered by dark spots or dashes, and dark spots on the sides of the head and neck. Scales are keeled.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen shown is likely a juvenile or small adult, roughly 20 to 30 cm in length. Adults typically range from 23 to 38 cm, with a maximum recorded length around 52 cm.
Habitat
Highly adaptable, found in moist woodlands, fields, marshes, suburban gardens, and urban parks, typically hiding under leaf litter, logs, rocks, or debris.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized feeder primarily consuming soft-bodied invertebrates such as slugs, earthworms, and snails, utilizing an active foraging strategy.
Reproduction
Ovoviviparous, giving birth to live young. Females produce litters averaging 10 to 20 young, usually born in late summer.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with the Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) and juvenile Garter Snakes (Thamnophis spp.). Distinguished by scale patterns, head markings, and lack of bright ventral coloration.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it is widespread, adaptable, and has stable populations across most of its range.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important ecological controller of garden pests like slugs and snails, often found in close proximity to human settlements.
Notable Features
Remarkably tolerant of human-modified environments, frequently found thriving in suburban yards and city parks beneath discarded debris.