Species
Florida brownsnake
Storeria victa
A small brownsnake of Florida's wetlands that reaches just into southeast Georgia.
Photo Laura Gaudette (opens in a new tab) / iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab)
At a glance
- Size
- Usually 18 to 28 cm long
- Habitat
- Wet flatwoods, marshes and floating mats of vegetation
- Diet
- Slugs, snails and earthworms
- In Georgia
- Far southeast Georgia, near the Florida line; rarely recorded
- Venomous
- No
- Rabies vector
- No
Identification
- Key marks
- Small, grey-brown with a pale band across the back of the head
- Told apart from
- DeKay's brownsnake, which has two rows of dark spots down the back
- Where to look
- Among wet vegetation and under debris near wetlands
Behaviour
It is a secretive snake of wet ground, hunting slugs and snails among vegetation.
Why they matter
It is one of the least-known snakes to reach Georgia, and records of it help show where it lives.
Reproduction and lifecycle
Young — Born live, usually 3 to 12
Size at birth — About 8 cm
Maturity — In one to two years
Breeding — Every year
Lifespan — A few years
Habits — Mostly hidden under cover
Living around people
- It is harmless; leave it where it is.
Misconceptions
- Small snakes are young venomous snakes. This is a harmless adult.
Related species
Seasonal activity
When this species is breeding, and when there are nests on the ground. Mowing during the shaded months is how most nests are found.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breeding | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Active nests | Jan: no | Feb: no | Mar: no | Apr: no | May: no | Jun: no | Jul: no | Aug: no | Sep: no | Oct: no | Nov: no | Dec: no |
| Notes | Sheltering | Active on warm days | Active | Active | Active | Young born | Young born | Active | Active | Active | Active on warm days | Sheltering |
Where it lives
Recorded in 2 states and provinces. Each one links to the other animals there, and to the rehabilitators licensed for them.
If you found one
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