Reptile · GBIF taxon 9056579
Storeria dekayi
storeria dekayiAlso known as DeKay's Snake, Brown Snake, Northern Brown Snake
DeKay's brownsnakes thrive in moist leaf litter and suburban gardens across Eastern North America, spending daylight hours hidden under rocks, boards, or flower pots. These small, secretive reptiles specialize in preying on soft-bodied invertebrates, using specialized jaws to pull snails cleanly from their shells. In late summer, females give birth to live young that measure barely three inches in length.
SecretiveGarden AllyLive-Bearing
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Slugs
- Earthworms
- Snails
Predators
- Toads
- American Robins
- Domestic Cats
ThreatsPesticide use, lawn mowers, road mortality, and habitat loss
HabitatsGardens, damp woodlands, suburban yards, and fields
Life span5 to 7 years in the wild
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyColubridae
- GenusStoreria
- Speciesstoreria dekayi
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Suburban Refuge: Look beneath garden pavers, flower pots, and moist leaf litter in cool morning hours.
- Pesticide Reduction: Avoid chemical slug baits to preserve their primary food source in garden beds.
- Gentle Handling: Observe in place without handling, as stressed individuals readily emit a harmless musk.
Frequent Companion Wilson44691 / Public domain · cc0
Related Colubrid Patrick Coin (Patrick Coin) / CC BY-SA 2.5 · cc-by-sa
Ecological Neighbor (c) Joseph McPhail, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Close Relative (c) Tom Norton, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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