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 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 generally common throughout its range.
Physical Description
Small, slender snake with brownish or grayish coloration, featuring a lighter mid-dorsal stripe bordered by small dark spots or bars. The head is distinct from the neck, with dark markings on the sides of the head and upper lips.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen is approximately 10 to 12 inches long. Adults typically range from 9 to 15 inches (23 to 38 cm) in total length, with a maximum recorded length of around 21 inches (53 cm).
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of habitats including forests, fields, marshes, and urban or suburban gardens, often hiding under rocks, logs, boards, and other debris.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on slugs, earthworms, snails, and soft-bodied insects, using an active foraging strategy in damp microhabitats.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young), producing litters typically ranging from 3 to 20 young during the late summer months.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it is widespread, adaptable, and generally common throughout its range.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important natural controller of garden pests like slugs and snails, frequently found in suburban areas living near humans.
Notable Features
Known for flattening its body or releasing a musky secretion from its cloaca when disturbed.
Notes
Auburn, AL