Dekay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Natricinae, Genus: Storeria, Species: S. dekayi
Eastern and central North America, ranging from southern Ontario and Quebec south through the eastern half of the United States to Texas and northeastern Mexico.
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, due to its wide distribution, large population, and high adaptability to human-altered environments.
Physical Description
Small-bodied snake with uniform brown to grayish-brown dorsal coloration, often featuring a lighter mid-dorsal stripe bordered by small dark spots. The head is relatively narrow and distinct from the neck, with dark bars on the sides of the head near the jaw. Scales are distinctly keeled.
Size & Dimensions
Estimated specimen length is around 20-25 cm. Adults typically range from 23 to 33 cm (9 to 13 inches), with a maximum recorded length of around 52 cm (20.5 inches).
Habitat
Highly adaptable, found in deciduous forests, fields, marshes, floodplains, and heavily urbanized areas such as suburban gardens and parks. Prefers moist microhabitats under logs, rocks, boards, and leaf litter.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized diet consisting almost entirely of soft-bodied invertebrates, primarily slugs, earthworms, and snails. Hunts actively by foraging through damp leaf litter and under surface cover.
Reproduction
Viviparous (live-bearing). Mating typically occurs in the spring after emerging from brumation, and females give birth to litters averaging 10 to 20 young in late summer.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, due to its wide distribution, large population, and high adaptability to human-altered environments.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important natural pest controller in gardens and urban environments by preying on large numbers of garden pests like slugs and snails.
Notable Features
Exhibits specialized jaw adaptations for extracting snails from their shells and is known to flatten its body and emit musk from cloacal glands when threatened.