The Brown Snakes 



The Genus Sioreria: Four species constitute this genus; 

 two occur in North America and come within the scope of this 

 work; the others inhabit Mexico and Central America. 



DEKAY'S SNAKE; BROWN SNAKE; GROUND SNAKE 

 Sioreria dekayi, (Holbrook) 



Size small seldom exceeding twelve inches; body mod- 

 erately stout, with heavily keeled scales. The eyes are large. 



Colouration. Chestnut or grayish brown; a streak of paler 

 tint on the back, bordered on each side with black dots. Which, 

 on the tail, run together, forming two blackish lines. Abdomen 

 pinkish white. 



Colours of the young. Newly born individuals are very 

 minute. They are dark gray or black, with a ring of grayish- 

 white around the neck. Their dark hue changes rapidly and 

 during the warm months succeeding their first hibernation they 

 acquire the brown of the adult form. Immediately after birth, 

 a snake of this species resembles a young Ring-necked Snake 

 (Diadophis punctatus), but may be distinguished by the keeled 

 scales, which impart a dull, velvety lustre. A specimen twenty- 

 four hours old measures 3^ inches in length, and slightly less 

 than an eighth of an inch in diameter at the thickest part of the 

 body. The mother of this specimen was larger than the average 

 adult, measuring fourteen inches in length. 



From above, this little reptile looks much like the closely 

 allied species the Red-bellied Snake or Storer's Snake, but 

 may be at once told by the colour of the abdomen as compared 

 with the vermilion underside of the latter-named species. The 

 bright abdominal colour of the Red-bellied Snake, however, 

 soon fades to a pale yellow when that reptile has for a time been 

 preserved in alcohol, causing it to closely resemble both above 

 and beneath, the DeKay's Snake. Examined closely, ^ line 

 of slaty gray will be seen to separate the pale tint of the abdomen 

 from the brown of the sides. These gray bands, which when closely 

 inspected will be found to be composed of minute and closely 

 dusted specks of bluish-gray, are prominent on the greater num- 

 ber of specimens of Red-bellied Snakes and form a useful char- 

 acter in separating preserved specimens from those representing 

 the DeKay's Snake which have no trace of such bands. 



Dimensions. The largest specimen of DeKay's Snake 



267 



