A small non-venomous snake commonly found hiding among loose stones or flat rocks. These snakes will spend most of their life under the ground, but during heavy rains they will sometimes go out into the open. They are brown to gray with a lighter center stripe bordered by small black spots. The belly of the brown snake is a pinkish white color.
Forest, Grassland, Wetland
Native to Southern Ontario and Quebec, most of the eastern half of the United States, through Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and possibly El Salvador. More specifically, this common species inhabits most wetland and terrestrial habitats east of the Great Plains.
Common
Nocturnal
Feeds largely on earthworms, snails, and slugs, but will also eat small salamanders, soft-bodied grubs, and beetles. They have specialized teeth and jaws that allow them to pull snails out of their shells and eat them.
Brown snakes are typically harmless non-venomous snakes. When these snakes do feel threatened they will flatten their bodies out to appear larger and place their bodies in an aggressive posture, and they will even release a musky smelling fluid from the cloaca.
Brown Snakes help to control populations of snails, slugs, and earthworms. They also serve as a valuable food supply for their predators.
Least Concern
