Scientific Name: Diadophis punctatus edwardsii
Size: 12-15 inches (25.4-38 cm) in length
Status: Abundant

Habitat:
Rocky areas, damp hardwood forest, near streams, old fields, rocky hills, grassy fields. May be found under rocks, logs, bark, or leaf litter.

Description:
Slender, small to medium size species with small smooth scales. The species gets its name from the orange colored ring around the neck. This ring is usually 1.5-2 scales in width and is bordered by black on each side. The upper body and head are dark gray, blue-gray or olive brown. The belly is bright orange or yellow. Young are similar to adults.

• The dorsal is dark gray, blue-gray or olive brown .
• The ventral is bright orange or yellow. Sometimes fading from orange to yellow.
• The neck has a bright orange or yellow ring/band.
• The dorsal of the head is usually the same as dorsal of the body or darker gray/black.

• Slender, small to medium species
• Orange/Reddish to yellow neck ring bordered by black.
• Ring is 1.5 – 2 scales wide.
• A few supralabials may have a pale yellow coloration.
• Smooth scales
• Belly is usually unmarked but may have dots running the length of the belly.
• Young are usually darker than adults.

• 15 scale rows at midbody
• 13-17 scale rows at anterior
• 13-15 scale rows at posterior
• 126-238 ventral scales
• 30-79 subcaudals | 2 rows of subcaudals
• 2 nasal scales
• 1 loreal scale
• 2 preocular scales
• 2 postocular scales
• 1+1 temporal scales
• 7-8 supralabials
• 7-8 infralabials
• Anal plate is divided

Adult Gallery:

Juvenile Gallery:

Red-bellied Snake

Dekay’s Brownsnake

• Hulse, C. and McCoy C. J. and Ellen Censky ,1998. Amphibians and Reptiles of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. pp.
• Ernst, Carl H. and Ernst, Evelyn M. ,2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. pp.

• Kyle Loucks
• Billy Brown
• Bob Hamilton
• Wayne Fidler
• Sebastian Harris
• M. Anne Esbenshade
• Jason Poston
• Andy Weber