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| The Brown Snake is fairly common to the Algonquin Highlands region. Although it is common it doesn’t mean it is easy to spot. They hide very well, mostly under logs, rocks or anything else they can find. Brown Snakes are not large, they are usually around 30 cm long. It is a Brown Snake with a cream or pink coloured stomach. On its back there is a lighter brown stripe with a darker stripe on each side of it. Below that there are usually blackish spots, as well as a black spot on each side of its head. Young Brown Snakes have light coloured spots around their neck which makes them easily confused with the Ringneck. However this colour goes away eventually. Another way to tell is that the Ringneck is a smooth snake and the Brown Snake has keeled scales. That means that there is a small ridge (like the keel on a canoe) that runs the length of the scale. The Brown Snake is mostly found in wetlands and grasslands where it can eat earthworms, snails and its favorite; slugs. Although it is not much of a biter, if the snake feels threatened, it does release a foul odour from its anal glands. It is hard to estimate the population of the Brown Snake. There could be more than the estimated totals because of their excellent way of hiding. Each summer they give birth to a live 10-20 baby snakes. |
(Family Colubridae)
Storeria dekayi
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