DeKay's Brown Snake

This morning around 10 am my cell phone rang and I saw that it was Mom. When I answered she asked “Are you busy?” I said no and she then said “Can you come over I have something I want you to look at”. “I was putting out my garbage and found a snake stretched out on the patio”. Those of you that keep up with my blog know by now that hearing the word “snake” gets my immediate attention. When I arrived, there basking in the sunlight was a DeKay’s brown snake (Storeria dekayi) named after the American naturalist James Edward DeKay. It had the girth of a #2 pencil and was approaching a foot in length.
As I reached down for it, it flattened itself out, which is a defensive tactic performed in order to cause its body to appear larger. It remained in place not trying to bite at all, but it did, of course, musk me. These along with the rough earth snake are common around here mostly found in flower gardens where they feed on snails, slugs, and earthworms. My wife would love having this little fellow in her garden since lately she’s been fighting a running battle with slugs that have been decimating her flowers.