Stats

Lifespan

4-7 yrs

Size

Tiny

Diet

Carnivore

Activity

Nocturnal

Social

Solitary

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

North America

Movement

Slithering

Breeding

Live Birth

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Common

About

A small, secretive snake that thrives in urban gardens, vacant lots, and parks across eastern North America. Despite its shy nature, it is remarkably common in cities, where it hunts slugs and earthworms beneath leaf litter and rocks.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   hatchling

   A miniature snake emerges from the egg or from its mother (live-bearers), already venomous or strong-coiled in some species.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A juvenile sheds its skin, grows quickly, and hunts smaller prey than the adults.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown at adult length and pattern.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →
• Watch on YouTube →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Reptilia

Order

Squamata

Family

Colubridae

Genus

Storeria

Species

Storeria dekayi