Alternate name: Brown Snake, DeKay's Snake
Family: Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes view all from this family
Description 10-20 3/4" (25.4-52.7 cm). Small; gray, yellowish-brown, brown, or reddish-brown, with 2 parallel rows of small dark spots bordering an indistinct wide light back stripe. Belly pale yellow, brown, or pinkish with small black dots along edges. Young have yellowish collar. Scales keeled, in 17 rows. Anal plate divided.
Subspecies Seven; 4 in our range. Wide zones of intergradation occur between races.
Northern (S. d. dekayi), vertical or diagonal dark bar on temporal scale on side of head usually extends through 6th and 7th lip scales; s. Maine and s. Quebec to Virginia. Intergrades with Midland from Michigan to Carolinas.
Marsh (S. d. limnetes), horizontal dark bar on temporal scale, 6th and 7th lip scales unmarked; coastal marshes; Colorado Co., Texas, east through Louisiana, Mobile Bay and Pensacola.
Texas (S. d. texana), no bar on temporal scale; large blotch on nape of neck extends downward to belly scales; Minnesota to Texas, south into Mexico.
Midland (S. d. wrightorum), similar to Northern, except parallel spots fused by narrow crossbands; Illinois and Indiana south to s. Mississippi, s. Alabama, and sw. Georgia. Intergrades with Texas in c. Wisconsin, e. Illinois, w. Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Breeding Live-bearing. Mates spring and fall; 3-31 young, 3 1/4-4 1/2" (8-11 cm) long, are born June to September.
Similar Species Florida Brown Snake (S. victa), formerly considered a subspecies of Dekay's, has 15 scale rows (all Dekay's have 17) and a light band across head; it occurs from se. Georgia to the Florida Keys.
Habitat Moist upland woodland to lowland freshwater and saltwater marshes; margins of swamps, bogs and ponds; vacant lots, gardens, golf courses.
Range S. Maine, s. Quebec, and s. Minnesota, south to Florida panhandle, and through Texas and Mexico to n. Honduras.
Discussion Diurnal, but nocturnal in warm weather. Hides under flat rocks, logs, or trash. Usually found near water or damp places. Feeds on earthworms, slugs and snails. Large numbers may congregate to hibernate together.
