Dekay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi • Order Squamata, Suborder Serpentes, Family Colubridae, Subfamily Natricinae, Genus Storeria, Species Storeria dekayi
Widespread across eastern and central North America, extending from southern Canada (Ontario, Quebec) down through the eastern United States to the Gulf Coast, and into eastern Mexico and Guatemala.
Look up Dekay's Brownsnake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order Squamata, Suborder Serpentes, Family Colubridae, Subfamily Natricinae, Genus Storeria, Species Storeria dekayi
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN Red List). Abundant across its range, though local populations can face threats from habitat destruction, pesticide application affecting prey, and vehicle mortality.
Physical Description
Small, slender snake with strongly keeled dorsal scales. Light brown to grayish-brown body featuring two parallel rows of small, dark dorsal spots connected by faint horizontal crossbars, surrounding a lighter central dorsal stripe. Distinctive dark top of the head with a pale yellowish/white collar band directly behind the neck, characteristic of a juvenile specimen. Eyes are relatively large with round pupils.
Size & Dimensions
The image shows a small juvenile, likely measuring 3 to 5 inches (7.5 to 13 cm) in length. Adults typically average 9 to 13 inches (23 to 33 cm), with a maximum recorded length of around 19 inches (48 cm).
Habitat
Highly adaptable semi-fossorial species occurring in forests, fields, wetlands, open woodlands, and urban or suburban settings like gardens, parks, and beneath debris. Found from sea level up to moderate elevations.
Diet & Feeding
Specializes in soft-bodied terrestrial invertebrates such as slugs, earthworms, and snails, which it actively hunts in soil litter and under objects. It possesses specialized jaw and tooth adaptations to extract snails from their shells.
Reproduction
Viviparous (gives birth to live young). Mating occurs in spring, and females give birth in late summer to early autumn. Typical litter size ranges from 3 to 15 young, with larger females producing larger litters.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with the Red-bellied Snake (Storeria occipitomaculata), which has a reddish belly and distinct light spots behind the head, and juvenile Garter Snakes (Thamnophis species), which have yellow longitudinal stripes rather than light dorsal centers bordered by distinct paired dark spots.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN Red List). Abundant across its range, though local populations can face threats from habitat destruction, pesticide application affecting prey, and vehicle mortality.
Cultural Significance
Plays an important ecological role as a natural pest control agent in gardens and agricultural settings by preying heavily on slugs and snails that damage crops and ornamental plants.
Notable Features
Juveniles exhibit a prominent pale collar mark on the neck that fades as they mature into adulthood. When threatened, they may flatten their bodies to appear larger and release a foul-smelling musk from their cloacal glands.