Brown Snake / 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 Brown Snake / 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. The species is widespread, adaptable, and generally common throughout its range.
Physical Description
Small, slender body with greyish-brown to brown coloration. The head shows distinctive dark markings, including vertical dashes on the lips and often a light collar or dark patches behind the eyes. The scales are keeled, and the pupil is round.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen in the photo appears to be an adult or sub-adult, roughly 25-30 cm in length. Typical adults range from 23 to 33 cm (9 to 13 inches), with maximum recorded lengths reaching up to 50 cm.
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of habitats including forests, fields, wetlands, and heavily urbanized areas like city parks and suburban yards. Often found hiding under surface cover such as rocks, logs, boards, and leaf litter.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized diet consisting almost entirely of soft-bodied invertebrates, primarily slugs, earthworms, and snails. They actively forage for prey under leaf litter and surface cover.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Mating occurs in the spring, and females give birth to litters averaging 10 to 20 young (though sometimes up to 30) in late summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. The species is widespread, adaptable, and generally common throughout its range.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important natural pest controller in gardens and agricultural areas by consuming large quantities of garden pests like slugs and snails.
Notable Features
Highly urban-tolerant, frequently surviving in densely populated suburban environments where other snake species are eradicated. Highly specialized diet targeting terrestrial gastropods.