(Storeria occipitomaculata)
Conservation Status | IUCN Red List |
LC - Least Concern |
![]() |
||||
NatureServe |
N5 - Secure S5 - Secure |
||||||
Minnesota |
not listed |
||||||
Occurrence | Common |
||||||
Habitat | Moist woodlands and areas adjacent to moist woodlands, lumber piles, trash dumps. |
||||||
Lifespan | Up to 4 years in captivity |
||||||
Size | 7″ to 10″ |
Photo by Bill Reynolds | |||||
Identification | This is a small, nonvenomous, snake, the smallest snake found in Minnesota. Adults can be 7″ to 16″ in length at maturity, though in the Upper Midwest they are described as being no more than 10″ long. Seen from above, these snakes are highly variable in appearance. They can be chestnut brown, olive-brown, tannish-brown, grayish-brown, gray, or black, but they fall generally into two color “phases”. The brown phase is brown to reddish brown or tan above (dorsally) with a broad pale mid-dorsal stripe bordered with narrow darker stripes. The gray phase has a medium gray background; a broad, light or medium gray mid-dorsal stripe bordered by narrow darker stripes; and a similar dark stripe on each side above the belly scales. The brown phase is the most common. Rarely, an individual will be mostly black. The belly is usually bright red. It is sometimes orange, salmon-colored, or pink, but it is always unmarked. The northern redbelly snake has three pale spots at the nape of the neck, one above and one on each side. The Black Hills redbelly snake has small faint spots or no spots at all. The head is usually darker than the rest of the body above and white below with a white neck. The upper (dorsal) and lateral scales have a narrow, pale, raised ridge (keel) along the centerline. There are 15 rows of dorsal and lateral scales on the midbody. The anal plate is divided. Males and females are equal in size but females have slightly longer tails. |
||||||
Similar Species |
Texas brown snake (Storeria dekayi texana) can be up to 18″ long. The middorsal stripe is bordered with a row of black spots. The belly is cream-colored or pinkish-white. |
||||||
Food | Mostly slugs, earthworms, and snails, but also insect larvae and pill bugs |
||||||
Life Cycle | Adults usually mate in the spring or early summer. The female gives live birth to usually 7 or 8 but up to 23 live young. The offspring become sexually mature in their second year. In the winter they hibernate with other snakes, often with other species of snakes, below the frost line in ant hills, animal burrows, and building foundations. |
||||||
Behavior | Individuals hide from predators under logs, rocks, and leaf litter. |
||||||
Distribution | ![]() |
||||||
Comments |
|
||||||
Taxonomy | Order: |
Squamata (amphisbaenians, lizards, and snakes) |
|||||
Infraorder: |
Serpentes (snakes) |
||||||
Superfamily: |
Colubroidea |
||||||
Family: |
Colubridae (colubrids, typical snakes) |
||||||
Subfamily: |
Natricinae |
||||||
Subordinate Taxa | Black Hills redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata pahasapae) Florida redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata obscura) northern redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata) |
||||||
Synonyms | Coluber occipitomaculatus |
||||||
Common Names |
red-bellied snake redbelly snake |
Glossary
Anal plate
In snakes: the large scale in front of and covering the anus. In turtles: one of the posterior plates of the lower shell (plastron). In Lepidoptera: the often hardened shield on the dorsal surface of the last (10th) segment of the abdomen.
Visitor Photos | |||
Share your photo of this reptile. |
|||
This button not working for you? |
|||
Amber Paniaqua | |||
![]() |
![]() |
||
Dan W. Andree | |||
Red-bellied snake... Cute little snake. Sometimes snakes will emit an unpleasant odor if threatened by a predator or even human but this little red-belly didn’t and also didn’t seem to mind letting me photograph it. I like this little snake. |
|||
![]() |
|||
Bill Reynolds | |||
While mowing today, I just happened to notice movement in the grass. I immediately recognized the snake as the Northern Redbelly snake. As a child, I would catch tons of these in south central St. Louis MN. So, after turning off the mower, it took me a few moments to catch the little guy. After all, I didn't want to injure him. I took a number of photos displaying it's head, belly and back. This little guy was just a tad longer than 5.6 inches long. |
|||
![]() |
![]() |
||
![]() |
![]() |
||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos | |||
Visitor Videos | |||
Share your video of this reptile. |
|||
This button not working for you? |
|||
Other Videos | |||
Northern Red Bellied Snake Nature Walks with Mark Fraser nwwmark |
|||
About
Uploaded on May 1, 2010 The "Northern" Red Bellied Snake is a beautiful subspecies of the Red Belly and are truly incredible snakes. They have become perfectly adapted to life in the north country and make their living in the forests and meadows looking for their prey. They feed on Snails,slugs and worms and are a tiny species easily recognizable by their beautiful red underbelly. They don't usually get more then a couple feet in length. This species hibernates to survive the harsh northern winter conditions and then returns in the spring. They are a gentle snake and do not bite and are not harmful. They themselves are actually prey to many other species like birds and mammals however their population numbers are fine and they are doing very well in their northern habitats. This is a species thats a real benefit to your garden since they feed on slugs that could otherwise potentially eat the green foliage. They are a beautiful snake and a real treat to get to know please look out for these little guys and when you see them please be careful they are very sensitive species being so very small. I'm Mark Fraser and thank you so very much for watching! If you would like to check out more exciting adventures exploring the amazing wildlife all around us please visit my website http://www.naturewalkswithmark.org |
|||
Northern Red-bellied Snake (Colubridae: Storeria occipitomaculata) Carl Barrentine |
|||
About
Uploaded on Sep 6, 2009 Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (06 September 2009). |
|||
Northern Red-bellied Snake (Colubridae: Storeria occipitomaculata) Carl Barrentine |
|||
About
Uploaded on Sep 6, 2009 Photographed at the Rydell NWR, Minnesota (06 September 2009). |
|||
Northern Red-bellied Snake TheSnakeLibrary |
|||
About
Published on May 27, 2012 Northern Red-bellied Snake Description: The redbellied snake is a small woodland snake, ranging from 4 - 10 in (10 - 25 cm) long. This species is one of our most variably-colored snakes, with some individuals ranging from bright orange to brown, gray, or nearly black. Occasionally individuals are found that are gray with a brown or orange stripe down the center of the back. Many individuals have a light brown ring behind the head. This species can easily be distinguished from all other small woodland snakes by their unmarked bright orange to red underside. Range and Habitat: Redbellied snakes are found throughout the eastern US, but are absent from peninsular Florida. This species can be found in a variety of woodland habitats but in the Coastal Plain is most common in or around the margins of small wetlands. In the Mountains they are often found in open habitats such as fields and mountain balds. Although the closely-related brown snake (Storeria dekayi) adapts well to suburban habitats, this species is usually most commonly associated with forested habitats in our region. Habits: Redbellied snakes are generally very secretive and can be found hiding under logs, rocks, and leaf piles. They feed nearly exclusively on slugs. Redbellied snakes breed in the spring or fall and females give birth to 4 -- 9 (but up to 23) young, in summer. They probably reach sexual maturity within 3 years. Research at the Savannah River Ecology Lab has shown that this species tracks the changing boundaries of wetlands as they fill and dry, probably following areas where the most slugs are found. When threatened this species rarely bites but adopts a bizarre lip-curling behavior. Conservation Status: Redbellied snakes are common in some areas but uncommon to rare in others. They are not protected in our region. |
|||
Visitor Sightings | ||||
Report a sighting of this reptile. |
||||
This button not working for you? Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com. Be sure to include a location. |
||||
Jett Wolters 8/202020 |
Location: near Judson, MN we have this snake in a cage if you want to see it, we plan to let it go, we were trying to figure out what kind of snake it is. Is it legal for us to keep it or must we let it go? |
|||
John Valo 8/23/2020 |
Legal – yes. A good idea? – Probably not. Here is what the Minnesota DNR has to say. Keeping a wild snake as a petMost snakes in Minnesota are considered unprotected wild animals, except those listed as endangered or threatened, and may be kept for pets if legally obtained or collected (Note - It is often unlawful to collect wildlife on many types of city, county, state, or federal lands without a permit, typically issued only for scientific or educational purposes). The DNR discourages the collection of wild-caught snakes for pets. Captive-bred snakes are widely available in pet stores, and often fair better in a captive environment. The Minnesota Herpetological Society (link is external) can provide you with care information. An alternative to collecting snakes as pets is to enjoy these fascinating creatures in the wild. To learn more, see Snakes and Lizards of Minnesota PDF. — Living with snakes; Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
|||
Amber Paniaqua 8/5/2020 |
Location: Biskey Trail ( north of Duluth, near Fish Lake) |
|||
Dan W. Andree 9/15/2019 |
Location: Sandpiper Prairie SNA, rural Norman Co. MN Cute little snake. Sometimes snakes will emit an unpleasant odor if threatened by a predator or even human but this little red-belly didn’t and also didn’t seem to mind letting me photograph it. I like this little snake. |
|||
Bill Reynolds 6/9/2017 |
Location: Pennington Co. MN While mowing today, I just happened to notice movement in the grass. I immediately recognized the snake as the Northern Redbelly snake. As a child, I would catch tons of these in south central St. Louis MN. So, after turning off the mower, it took me a few moments to catch the little guy. After all, I didn't want to injure him. I took a number of photos displaying it's head, belly and back. This little guy was just a tad longer than 5.6 inches long. |
|||
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings | ||||
Last Updated: