Texas brown snake

Geographic range

It is found from southern Minnesota to eastern Texas and northeastern Mexico.

Description

Adults and young have reddish brown colored bodies with dark brown spots around the eyes. These occipital blotches are wider than in other subspecies of S. dekayi, and the fourth upper labial is usually darkened to a greater extent. S. d. texana also differs from the other subspecies by not having the anterior temporal shield marked with a black vertical bar or horizontal stripe. Adults average 30.5 cm (12.0 in) in total length, but may reach 48.3 cm (19.0 in).

Habitat

They can be found in moist woodlands under logs and bark. In urban areas they are often found in gardens and flower beds, and also under old pieces of roofing or linoleum in backyards and vacant lots.

Diet

They feed primarily on slugs and earthworms, but also eat insects, spiders, and cricket frogs (genus Acris).

Reproduction

Storeria dekayi texana is ovoviviparous. Females bear live young in August and early September. Each young emerges in a fine tissue sac, which after bursting remains attached to the ventrum, but is quickly shed. Brood size varies from 3 to 15. The newborns measure 9–11.5 cm (3 ¹⁄₂–4 ¹⁄₂ in) in total length.

One notable example of an extremely large specimen, some two-and-a-half feet in length, was once circulated virally, but proof of the "Super Hog"-sized specimen has since vanished, and the story passed into legend. This is contrary to the smaller or more minute subspecies of the Texas brown snake. The smaller subspecies, also known as the "Joshua snake," is primarily found and handled by small children and teenagers playing in their back yards or wooded areas near their homes, as the brown snake can find refuge there from larger predators.