#Storeria

[herpsandbirds]

Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi), family Colubridae, ONT, Canada

photograph by Matt Ireland

[futurebird]

It's spring time in New York City!

It's spring time in New York City! Yesterday it felt as if the whole city had come alive. Tulips and daffodils bloom, the moss on the old stone wall caught droplets of morning due. On my way to the bus stop in the South Bronx I encountered a DeKay's brown snake on the sidewalk near the park, the cute little snake was sunning itself after a long winter underground.

Gently, I picked her up (I had a look at the tail and I think it is a female) and moved her to a nice warm rock away from foot traffic. This is the first snake I've ever seen in NYC and it's my favorite species!

I’ve wanted to have a Dekay’s brown snake a a pet forever— I think a terrarium with Storeria dekayi and carpenter ants would be amazing— but if she now lives in the park I can go see her there.  Even better. She eat snails, slugs and worms and lord knows we have those over by that wall. I suspect there is one of NYC’s many secret buried streams and brooks under the wall in the park. It’s so moist all of the time.   Some of the local teens on their way to school and stopped to admire the snake. They were a little scared at first "oh no she's got a snake!" but I was able to tell them a little about the snake and how they are harmless and a sign that our little local park is doing well ecologically. 

Later this same day I was walking down Park Ave. down on the upper east when out of the corner of my eye I spied an ant queen. I can always tell ant queens by the way they walk... or rather waddle. Looks like Prenolepis imparis, or the American winter ant. She was hustling along the side walk as if on her way to the Chanel store. Now she’s in one of my luxury ant condos— (but don’t tell her I’ve moved her out to the Bronx.)     

I fed her a drop of sugar water which she accepted, now she is in my ant drawer snug in her test tube. I will post updates about this queen, and if she makes it. Over on Mastodon I asked for help naming her and we decided to call her "Ethel." I've never kept this species before, so I'm reading about their needs.

Ethel is cute & round, settling in to her "Luxery ant condo" (It's a test tube.) She enjoyed a little sugar water, now she's in the darkness of the ant drawer. She looks very well-fed, so I think there is a good chance she will lay lots of eggs.

In four or five days I'll check on her again. Sometimes new queens just die. So, many don't like to name a queen until she has her first workers. But I'm cheering for this little urban ant.

[wildflowers-of-southern-ontario]

Dekay’s Brownsnake Storeria dekayi Colubridae

Photographs taken on October 11, 2021, at Rattray Marsh Conservation Area, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

[ouzel-time]

Caught a brownsnake today and briefly brought it inside to show my dad, at which point it decided it was the perfect time to secrete its Stinky Defensive Booty Oil all over the carpet.

[frodisvictor]

I see this guy several times a week he lives under this cool piece of wood he's like a friend to me

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Dekay's brown snake (Storeria dekayi)

(Image credit: Getty Images)

[aardwolfpack]

I’ve only seen snakes in the wild a handful of times in my life, and yesterday was the first time I managed to photograph one.  You can toggle between the pictures to watch the flicking tongue.

[funk7-m4x]

Two beautiful red-bellies i found in my firewood

[crevicedwelling]

cooler darker day than the past week so this young Storeria dekayi was a little sluggish, but awake enough to threaten me (trying its best).

[celestialmacros]

DeKay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi)

April 24, 2024

Southeastern Pennsylvania

Finally found one of these common snakes. I'm terrible at finding herps. This is a small snake, about a foot long (30 cm) as an adult.

[herpsandbirds]

What kind of snake is this? Found it after unwinding the hose to fill the bird bath/toad pond/XL dog water bowl.

This is a really common garden and yard snake called...

Dekay's Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi), family Colubridae, north Texas, USA

There used to be a few recognized subspecies, but those subspecies are no longer considered valid. This populationwould have been considered Texas Brown Snake (S. d. texana).

Non-venomous.

Feed on earthworms and other soft bodied invertebrates.

This individual looks like a young adult. This snake rarely gets longer than 12 inches.

[shadowkira]

DeKay's brown snake

(Storeria dekayi)

[hazeriley]

DeKay’s Brown Snake

Storeria dekayi

One of my favorite snakes to find and photograph

[thedisablednaturalist]

Almost missed seeing this lil guy! He did not try to bite me at all.

DeKay's brown snake

Storeria dekayi

[zoology-time]

Dekay's Brownsnake, Storeria dekayi

[iprefertheicecapades]

Left Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi), Right Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis)