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) south through the eastern half of the United States to Texas and parts of Mexico.
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: Least Concern (LC). Stable populations due to high adaptability to human-altered landscapes.
Physical Description
Small, slender body with strongly keeled dorsal scales. Light brown to grayish-tan ground color with a lighter dorsal stripe bordered by two rows of dark paired spots down the back. Head is slightly distinct from neck with dark markings on the temples and sides of the head. Eyes are relatively large with round pupils.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen appears to be an adult around 9 to 12 inches (23-30 cm) long. Typical adult size ranges between 9 to 13 inches (23-33 cm), with rare maximum lengths up to 19 inches (48 cm).
Habitat
Highly adaptable terrestrial/fossorial snake found in deciduous forests, open woodlands, fields, damp meadows, marshes, and frequently in suburban environments such as backyards, gardens, and under leaf litter or urban debris.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized feeder on soft-bodied invertebrates, primarily earthworms, slugs, and snails. Utilizes specialized jaw and tooth structure to consume snails directly from their shells.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Mating occurs in spring, and females give birth in mid to late summer to a litter of typically 5 to 25 live young.
Look-alikes
Often confused with Redbelly Snakes (Storeria occipitomaculata), which usually have a reddish belly and distinct light neck spots, or juvenile Garter Snakes (Thamnophis species), which have distinct yellow stripes rather than double rows of dark spots.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status: Least Concern (LC). Stable populations due to high adaptability to human-altered landscapes.
Cultural Significance
Extremely beneficial garden ally that helps control populations of agricultural and garden pests like slugs and snails without posing any risk to humans.
Notable Features
Kept small throughout evolutionary history, specialized dentition adapted specifically for consuming slugs and extracting snails from their shells.