Dekay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Storeria, Species: Storeria dekayi
Widespread across eastern North America, ranging from southern Canada (Ontario, Quebec) down through the eastern and central United States, extending into eastern 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
Evaluated as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, large population size, and tolerance for habitat modification in human-dominated landscapes.
Physical Description
Small, slender snake with keeled dorsal scales. Coloration ranges from light brown, grayish-brown, to dark tan. Characterized by a lighter beige or grayish stripe running down the center of the back, bordered on each side by a double row of small, dark brown or black spots that may be connected by crossbars. The head is relatively distinct from the neck with a dark speckling on the top, dark spots behind the jaws, and a pale underside.
Size & Dimensions
The pictured individual appears to be an adult specimen measuring approximately 9 to 12 inches (23 to 30 cm) in total length. Adults typically range from 6 to 13 inches (15 to 33 cm), with maximum recorded lengths reaching up to 19 inches (48 cm).
Habitat
Extremely adaptable terrestrial to semi-fossorial species found in deciduous woodlands, grasslands, marshes, and agricultural areas. Highly common in suburban environments, urban parks, gardens, and under leaf litter, logs, rocks, or trash piles.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized feeder primarily targeting soft-bodied invertebrates such as slugs, earthworms, and snails. They utilize specialized jaw and tooth structures to extract snails from their shells and forage actively under cover.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Mating occurs in spring after emerging from brumation, and females give birth in late summer (July through September) to a litter of typically 3 to 15 neonates.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with the Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata), which has a bright orange or red belly and light neck spots; the Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis), which is typically larger with distinct yellow or green longitudinal stripes; and Earthsnakes (Virginia spp.), which lack the paired dorsal dark spots.
Conservation Status
Evaluated as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List due to its wide distribution, large population size, and tolerance for habitat modification in human-dominated landscapes.
Cultural Significance
Plays a beneficial ecological role in gardens and urban spaces by keeping populations of crop and plant pests, such as slugs and snails, under control.
Notable Features
Features heavily keeled dorsal scales on a very compact body. When feeling threatened, it may flatten its head and body to appear larger or release a mild musk from its cloaca as a defense mechanism.