Red-bellied Snake, Storeria occipitomaculata
This secretive, but easily recognizable, snake has 2 subspecies in Tennessee: Northern Red-bellied Snake (S. o. occipitomaculata), which occurs across most of the state, and Florida Red-bellied Snake (S. o. obscura), which occurs in the southwestern counties of the state (where the two subspecies interbreed as well).
Description: A small, keel-scaled snake (8.0 to 10.0 inches in length) with a plain reddish belly.
The Northern Red-bellied subspecies has 3 light spots on the nape of the neck, and these spots are fused to make a distinct pale neck collar in the Florida Red-bellied subspecies.
Body color is highly variable but is usually gray or reddish-brown (rarely black) with or without 4 narrow, dark stripes or a broad, light mid-dorsal stripe. The belly is usually red but can be yellow, orange, or pink. The head is usually darker than the body.
Young are darker overall with a more distinctive neck collar.
Similar Species: DeKay’s Brownsnake has a yellowish, tan, or pinkish belly with very small black dots on the sides. Copper-bellied Watersnake and Red-bellied Mudsnake are much larger and their red bellies are not plain.
Habitat: Found under leaf litter, rotten logs, bark, and rocks in moist hardwood or mixed pine-hardwood forests and other moist sites such as bottomland habitat. Red-bellied Snakes can also be found around human habitations such as vacant lots where they hide under boards, trash, and other debris.
Diet: Primarily eats slugs, snails, earthworms, and other soft-bodied insects.
Breeding information: Courtship and mating take place in the spring and early summer, occasionally in summer or fall. Females give birth to a live litter (ovoviviparous) of 1-21 (average 7 or 8) young during late summer or early autumn. Research has shown that Red-bellied Snakes are very successful breeders.
Status in Tennessee: Locally common in some areas, but uncommon or absent in others; not protected by any state or federal laws.
Fun Facts:
- Red-bellied snakes have a habit of lip curling, which is thought to be related to their habit of eating slimy prey such as slugs, earthworms, and snails.
Best places to see in Tennessee: Moist woodlands, especially near wetlands or bottom lands.
