DeKay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi
Summary 4
Storeria dekayi, commonly known as the brown snake or De Kay's snake, is a small species of colubrid snake.
Description 5
NOT venomous. Head slightly wider than neck, keeled scales, round pupils. Body is brown with a paler band down the spine, dark blotches appear on either side of the neck behind the head. Typically 9 to 13 inches (23 to 33cm) in length. (J. R. Dixon and J. E. Werler, Texas Snakes: A Field Guide, University of Texas Press, 2000.)
Coloration: 6
Light tan middorsal stripe running the length of the body.
Middorsal stripe is three scale rows wide and is in contrast to darker background color, which may range from red to brown to dark tan.
Yellowish or pink ventral scale surface is usually unmarked with pigment, save a row of black spots along ventral and dorsal scale junction.
There are two recognized subspecies of S. dekayi found in Texas.
Behavior: 6
Inhabiting moister habitats, Storeria dekayi is able to find and feed on insect and annelid prey, including insect larvae. Annecdotal accounts mention S. dekayi being found in open lots and fields in urban settings, though persistant pesticide use has eradicated most of these populations. Non-venomous, S. dekayi will not bite when picked up, but it may flatten its neck in a threat display.
Habitat: 6
Storeria dekayi favors moist habitats, preferably under objects such as tin, wood and stones, or in habitats favoring moisture, such as canyons and bottom lands.
General Distribution: 6
Storeria dekayi is found throughout most of the eastern half of the U.S., with additional populations extending south along the Atlantic coast of Mexico.
Texas Distribution: 6
In Texas, Storeria dekayi is found through most of the state, save the drier regions, such as the Panhandle and the Trans-Pecos.
Conservation Status: 6
Dekay's brownsnake is not a protected species in Texas and can be legally collected with a hunting license.
Sources and Credits
- (c) Matthew Ireland, all rights reserved, uploaded by Matthew Ireland
- (c) Liv Monck-Whipp, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Liv Monck-Whipp, http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151024376467434&set=a.10151024374237434.404806.505912433&type=1
- (c) Lee Elliott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Lee Elliott
- Adapted by Desmon M Dunn from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storeria_dekayi
- (c) Amber Leung, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/494754
- (c) Caleb Paul, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/776614
