Brown Snakes communicate with each other primarily through touch and smell. They use their forked tongues to collect chemicals from the air and insert these forks into a special organ in the roof of their mouth, which interprets these chemical signals. Because Brown Snakes hunt mostly underground and at night, they probably use almost exclusively their sense of smell to find prey. Snakes are also sensitive to vibrations and have reasonably good vision.
This is a fairly common species, but it does face threats such as exposure to pollution and destruction of rural and urban habitats (Harding 1997). No known efforts are being made to ensure viable populations for the future.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
These little snakes may benefit humans by controlling slug damage in gardens (Harding 1997). No other known benefits have been found.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Brown Snakes help to control populations of snails, slugs, and earthworms. They also serve as a valuable food supply for their predators.
Brown snakes feed largely on earthworms, snails, and slugs, but will also eat small salamanders, soft-bodied grubs, and beetles. They have specialized teeth and jaws that allow them to pull snails out of their shells and eat them.
Animal Foods: amphibians; insects; terrestrial non-insect arthropods; mollusks; terrestrial worms
Primary Diet: carnivore (Molluscivore , Vermivore)
Storeria dekayi is an abundant snake that is widely distributed.
It is found in southern Canada, in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and in the northern portions of Mexico (Ditmars 1936).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
This is a snake that is still fairly abundant. The reason for this can be mostly attributed to its smaller size and broad habitat preferences. Brown snakes are typically found hiding among loose stones or flat rocks that are found in the wild and in large cities (Ditmars 1936). These snakes will spend most of their life under the ground, but during heavy rains they will sometimes go out into the open (Harding 1997). This usually occurs in October - November and during late March - April when they are moving to or from hibernation spots (Harding 1997). Sometimes these hibernation spots will be shared with other snakes such as garter snakes, red-bellied snakes, and smooth green snakes (Harding 1997).
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: chaparral ; forest ; scrub forest
Wetlands: marsh
Other Habitat Features: urban ; suburban
Little is known of Brown Snake lifespans in the wild, but a captive individual lived to be 7 years old. Wild Brown Snakes may approach this lifespan in the wild, though many young die before becoming mature.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 7.0 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 7 years.
The brown snake is a fairly small snake that rarely exceeds 15 inches in length (Ditmars 1936). It has a stout body with large eyes and heavily keeled scales (Collins 1987). Storeria dekayi is typically found to be a grayish brown color with a lighter streak on its back that is bordered on each side with black dots. The belly of the brown snake is a pinkish white color. Typically there are 17 scale rows at midbody and the anal plate is divided (Harding 1997). Males and females generally look the same, but males tend to have longer tails (Harding 1997). There are several other subspecies of Storeria dekayi that look slightly different, but there is no textual evidence of any seasonal variation. Young brown snakes are small, about 3 1/2 inches long on average and are black or dark gray in color (Simon 1979). A distinguishing characteristic of the young is a light grayish white colored ring found around the neck. At this age they are sometimes confused with ring necked snakes, but are distinguished by their keeled scales (Ditmars 1936).
Range length: 23.0 to 52.7 cm.
Other Physical Features: heterothermic
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger; sexes shaped differently
Brown snakes are eaten by large frogs and toads, larger snakes, American crows, hawks, shrews, weasels, blue jays, and domestic cats. When these snakes feel threatened they flatten their bodies to appear larger and place their bodies in an aggressive posture. They will also smear their attacker with a foul-smelling musk that they exude from their cloaca.
Known Predators:
Mating System: polygynous
The brown snake is viviparous, and gives birth to 12 - 20 young (Ditmars 1936). This occurs during the later parts of the summer around late July to early August (Ditmars 1936). After the young are born there is no parental care involved, but sometimes young brown snakes will stay close with the parent (Harding 1997). Brown snakes reach sexual maturity by the end of their second summer, usually by this time they have doubled in
length (Harding 1997).
Breeding interval: Brown Snakes breed once yearly.
Breeding season: Brown Snakes give birth to their young in late summer.
Range number of offspring: 3.0 to 41.0.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2.0 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2.0 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); ovoviviparous
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 730 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 730 days.
The young are nourished within their mother's body while they develop. Once the young are born there is no further parental care, but sometimes young Brown Snakes will stay near their mother.
Parental Investment: precocial ; female parental care
Storeria dekayi, commonly known as De Kay's brown snake, De Kay's snake, and simply the brown snake (along with many others), is a small non-venomous species of snake in the family Colubridae.[3][4] The species is native to North America and Central America.
S. dekayi is native to Southern Ontario and Quebec, most of the eastern half of the United States, through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and possibly El Salvador.[1][2] More specifically, this common species inhabits most wetland and terrestrial habitats east of the Great Plains from sea level to 1,400 meters (4,600 feet) above sea level. [5]
Dorsally, S. dekayi is brown to gray with a lighter center stripe bordered by small black spots; ventrally, it is lighter brown or pink with small black dots at the ends of the ventral scales.[6] Adults usually measure less than 12 inches (30 cm) in total length (including tail), but the record total length is 19+3⁄8 inches (49 cm).[7] The dorsal scales are keeled, and it has no loreal scale.[8] 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.[9]
S. dekayi is surprisingly a lover of urban areas, and tends to frequent cities more often than the countryside. They can, of course, be found in areas such as wetlands, grasslands and forests, but they are most commonly encountered where humans are found.[10] Moist areas are preferable habitats for them, which makes sense when you consider their favorite prey items.[11]
Like other natricine snakes such as water snakes (genus Nerodia) and garter snakes (genus Thamnophis), S. dekayi is a viviparous species, giving birth to live young.[12] Sexual maturity is reached at two to three years. Mating takes place in the spring, after snakes emerge from brumation. Between 3 and 41 young are born in late summer.[13]
S. dekayi primarily feeds on slugs, snails, and earthworms.[14][15][16] In the southern extent of its region the snake usually preys predominantly on earthworms, however, in the northern reaches of its range slugs are the predominant food source.[15] It has specialized jaws that allow it to remove snails from their shells for consumption.[13] Reports of other invertebrates (such as woodlice, mites, or millipedes) in the diet of S. dekayi are more than likely the result of accidental ingestion rather than intentional feeding, in which one of these invertebrates may have adhered to a slug or other prey item being consumed.[17]
S. dekayi is a prey item for larger snakes, large frogs and toads, birds, and many mammals including weasels and invasive housecats.[18] An observed predator avoidance mechanism is coiling the anterior portion of the body and swaying it side to side as they attempt to flee.[19] In addition to this, they release a foul musk when threatened.[11] They are shy, secretive snakes, that are rare to find out in the open. Usually, these will be found hiding under rocks or logs for safety and comfort. They will also occasionally burrow. Their most active period is from about March 13 and October 20, but can be found year-round.
The specific name, dekayi, is in honor of American zoologist James Ellsworth De Kay (1792–1851), who collected the first specimen on Long Island, New York, while the generic name, Storeria, honors zoologist David Humphreys Storer.[20][21] However, originally, it was named Coluber dekayi.
This is the only North American snake whose binomial is a double honorific – that is, both the generic name and the specific name honor people.
Storeria dekayi, commonly known as De Kay's brown snake, De Kay's snake, and simply the brown snake (along with many others), is a small non-venomous species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to North America and Central America.
