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 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, as it is widespread, adaptable, and population trends are generally stable.
Physical Description
The specimen displays brown to grayish dorsal coloration with two parallel rows of small dark spots along the back, and a distinctive dark bar behind the eye. Scales are heavily keeled, and the head is relatively small and distinct from the neck.
Size & Dimensions
The specimen shown is a juvenile approximately 10 to 15 cm in length. Adults typically reach total lengths of 20 to 38 cm, with a maximum recorded length around 52 cm.
Habitat
Found in a wide variety of habitats including deciduous forests, fields, marshes, and heavily urbanized areas like suburban gardens and vacant lots. Typically terrestrial and secretive, hiding beneath logs, stones, leaf litter, and debris.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized feeder primarily consuming soft-bodied invertebrates such as earthworms, slugs, and snails, which are located through active foraging and chemical cues.
Reproduction
Viviparous (live-bearing), giving birth to litters typically ranging from 3 to 31 young in the late summer, usually between July and September.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, as it is widespread, adaptable, and population trends are generally stable.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important natural pest control agent in gardens and urban environments by preying on garden pests like slugs and snails.
Notable Features
Exhibits a specialized jaw structure adapted for extracting snails from their shells and is exceptionally tolerant of human-altered habitats, often thriving in suburban backyards.