redbelly snake

Common

Moist woodlands and areas adjacent to moist woodlands, lumber piles, trash dumps.

Up to 4 years in captivity

7″ to 10″

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.

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.

Mostly slugs, earthworms, and snails, but also insect larvae and pill bugs

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.

Individuals hide from predators under logs, rocks, and leaf litter.

Sources: 7, 11, 14, 24, 29, 74.

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.

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.

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?

Legal – yes.

A good idea? – Probably not.

Here is what the Minnesota DNR has to say.

Keeping a wild snake as a pet

Most 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

Location: Biskey Trail ( north of Duluth, near Fish Lake)

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.

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.