Dekay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Storeria, Species: S. dekayi
Eastern and central North America, from southern Canada down through the eastern United States to 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: S. dekayi
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Widely distributed and tolerant of habitat modification.
Physical Description
Small, slender snake with brown or grayish-brown coloration, featuring a lighter dorsal stripe bordered by small dark spots or dashes. The belly is pale white, pinkish, or gray with small dark dots near the outer edges of the scales. Scales are strongly keeled.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen is likely an adult or subadult around 25 cm. Typical adult size ranges from 20 to 38 cm, with a maximum recorded length of around 52 cm.
Habitat
Highly adaptable, found in deciduous forests, fields, marshes, and heavily suburbanized areas under rocks, logs, or debris. Prefers damp microhabitats.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized feeder focusing primarily on slugs, earthworms, and snails, using active foraging techniques in damp substrates.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Mating occurs in spring, and females typically give birth to litters of 3 to 30 young in late summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern. Widely distributed and tolerant of habitat modification.
Cultural Significance
Beneficial urban neighbor due to its heavy predation on garden pests like slugs and snails.
Notable Features
Exhibits specialized jaw adaptations allowing it to extract snails cleanly from their shells.