Reptile · GBIF taxon 2457039
Red-bellied Snake
Storeria occipitomaculataAlso known as Redbelly Snake, Northern Redbelly Snake
Red-bellied snakes spend most of their lives hidden beneath logs, stones, and leaf litter in damp woodlands and forest borders. When threatened, these tiny reptiles often curl their upper lips outward to display their bright underside, a harmless bluff posture known as lip-curling. Females give birth to live young in late summer, yielding litters of tiny snakelets that hunt soft-bodied prey from day one.
SecretiveWoodlandSmall
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Slugs
- Snails
- Earthworms
Predators
- American Robins
- Garter Snakes
- Bullfrogs
ThreatsHabitat destruction, road mortality, and agricultural chemicals
HabitatsMoist woodlands, forest edges, damp meadows, and bogs
Life span4–10 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyColubridae
- GenusStoreria
- SpeciesStoreria occipitomaculata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Harmless and non-venomous; safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Look beneath cover: Gently roll fallen logs or stones in moist woods to spot them hiding.
- Observe without handling: Watch their unique lip-curling defense display from a step back.
- Replace cover carefully: Always return turned rocks or logs to their exact original positions.
Co-occurring Species Wilson44691 / Public domain · cc0
Competitor (c) graham_coop, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Co-occurring Species (c) Dustin Snider, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Mila C., some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Mila C. · cc-by
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