De Kay's snake, DeKay's brown snake
The Brown snake (Storeria dekayi) is a small non-venomous species of snake native to North and Central America.
No
NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
Ca
CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
Ve
VermivorousVermivore (from Latin vermi, meaning "worm" and vorare, "to devour") is a zoological term for animals that eat worms (including annelids, nematodes...
Mo
MolluscivoreA molluscivore is a carnivorous animal that specializes in feeding on molluscs such as gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, and cephalopods. Known mo...
Te
TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Pr
PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
Ov
OvoviviparousOvoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a term used as a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous an...
Pr
PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
Co
CongregatoryCongregatory animals tend to gather in large numbers in specific areas as breeding colonies, for feeding, or for resting.
Po
PolygynyPolygyny is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
No
Non-venomousGe
Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
Hi
HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
No
Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
B
starts withDorsally, this snake is brown to gray with a lighter center stripe bordered by small black spots; ventrally, it is light brown or pink with small black dots at the ends of the ventral scales. The dorsal scales are keeled, and it has no loreal scale. Females exceed males in snout-vent length and number of ventral scales while males exceed females in tail length, head dimensions, and number of subcaudal scales.
Brown snakes are native to Southern Ontario and Quebec, most of the eastern half of the United States, through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and possibly El Salvador. These snakes live in different habitats including forests, riparian woodlands, wet meadows, savannas, grasslands, and wetlands. They are also common in urban areas.
Brown snakes are generally solitary and can be found together only during hibernation or during the mating season. During cold winter months, they hibernate in communal dens usually in rocky outcrops or burrows of small rodents. These snakes are nocturnal and during the day they usually hide under logs, rocks, leaves, and other cover. When they feel in danger, Brown snakes flatten themselves against the ground to appear larger and if picked up release a foul-smelling musk.
Brown snakes are carnivores; they primarily feed on slugs, snails, and earthworms. They may also consume other invertebrates such as sowbugs, mites, and millipedes.
Brown snakes are polygynous which means that males mate with more than one female during a single breeding season. These snakes mate in spring after emergence from hibernation. Females give birth to 3-31 live young in the late summer. Snakelets are born fully developed but usually stay with their mother for some time. They become reproductively mature at 2-3 years of age.
There are no major threats to Brown snakes at present.
According to IUCN, the Brown snake is locally common and widespread throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Due to their diet habits, Brown snakes control populations of slugs, snails, and earthworms. They also serve as important prey species for local predators.
