Fast facts
Common name: Dekay's brownsnake
Scientific name: Storeria dekayi
Range in MA: Statewide except for Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket
Conservation status: Common, not listed
Fun fact: Named for Portuguese-born James DeKay, who studied to become a medical doctor and later became a naturalist in the United States. He was credited with documenting the first specimen, on Long Island in the 1830s.
Description
DeKay's brownsnakes are small and have keeled scales. Their coloring is light brown to dark reddish-brown, sometimes gray, with pale brown, pale yellow, or light pink belly. A double row of small black spots usually runs the length of the back, sometimes connected by fine lines. The center of the back is typically lighter in color than the sides, forming a broad, sometimes indistinct stripe running the length of the animal. Most display a back-slanting dark streak behind each eye. Adults range from 8–14+ inches in length.
Habitat
Found statewide except on Martha’s Vineyard Island and Nantucket, DeKay’s brownsnakes are fairly common across Massachusetts. Although active during the day in spring and fall (nocturnal in summer), their small size and ability to hide in ground vegetation or leaf litter can make them easy to overlook. They live in a wide variety of habitats, ranging from empty urban and suburban lots to woodlands, grasslands, and powerline cuts. They seem to prefer damper locations, such as areas surrounding marshes, beaver flowages, and swamps.
Life history
Mating can take place in spring or fall. Young, about 3–4 inches long, are born as early as June or as late as September in litters of about 8–15. Diets consist of worms, soft-bodied insects, and slugs. They will also take tiny frogs and even fish. Much remains to be learned about this and other small snake species of Massachusetts.