Barry Mansell photo.

Scientific name: Storeria dekayi wrightorum

Description: Average adult size is 7-9 inches (17.7-22.8 cm), record is 20.75 inches (52.7 cm). Adults are small, thin, and may be tannish to rusty-brown, with a faint light mid-dorsal stripe and fleckings on the sides. There are black spots along both sides of the mid-dorsal stripe that may be connected across the back. There is a light band across the back of head. There is a dark spot on the upper lip scales under the eye. The belly is tannish to pinkish, with black dots along the edges. The scales are keeled, and there are 17 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The pupil is round. Juveniles are dark brownish with a light band across back of head.

Midland brown snake: Left to right: Top view of head (notice the large plate-like scales on the top of the head);
underside of the head (chin and throat).

Midland brown snake: Left to right: Side view of head; front (face) view of the head.

Range: In Florida, it is found in two disjunct areas, one in the western panhandle, the other in the eastern panhandle and northern peninsula. Outside of Florida, it is found from Georgia west to Louisiana and north to Wisconsin.

Habitat: Commonly found near hardwood hammocks, pinelands, bogs, marshes, ponds, swamps, and sloughs.

Comments: . The midland brown snake is a terrestrial burrower, and prefers moist environments where it is found under logs, rocks, and other debris.

It feeds on slugs, snails, and earthworms, but occasionaly eats small fishes, frogs, and salamanders.

It is live-bearing. Breeding occurs in both the spring and fall, with usually 5-20 young born during the summer.

Comparison with other species: The marsh brown snake (Storeria dekayi limnetes) lacks both the dark spot under the eye and the dark lines across the back connecting the black spots along the mid-dorsal stripe. The Florida brown snake (Storeria dekayi victa) has 15 dorsal scale rows at midbody, and lacks the dark lines across the back connecting the black spots along the mid-dorsal stripe. The Florida redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) has a light spot under the eye, a light band across the back of neck (not head), and sometimes a red belly. The southern ringsneck snake (Diadophis punctatus punctatus) is solid grayish-black, with a complete neck ring and black spotted yellow-orange belly.

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