However they are protected in the state of Iowa and are illegal to collect.

If it got into your house to get in out of the cold, then Im sure there is someone in your local herp society that has a rehab permit. As you cant just release it now because of the cold, someone will have to keep it until it warms up to be released.

It is a small ground snake that rarely gets over 20", and lives in the leaf litter, under boards at dump sites and any where there is moist soil to sustain slugs and earthworms. These are its staple diet, and you may have to get them at a bait store. Just dont use the red wigglers, as they are supposed to be toxic to snakes somehow. I always used baby nightcrawlers or small worms and cut them in half or in thirds. You may have to do the latter as this guy is really skinny.

Get him a few worms to chow on and I bet he will fatten up pretty quick. These guys have fast metabolisms, so he will have to fed every other day, and make sure he has plenty of water. Just make sure the water dish isnt too big that he cant get out of, he is a little bitty guy yet.

Hope this helps


Iowa Herpetology link for Dekay's brown snake


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1.0 Corn snake
1.0 Black rat snake
1.0 Albino Black rat snake
1.0 Everglades rat snake
0.1 Yellow rat snake
1.1 California king snake
1.0 Prairie king snake
0.1 Black king snake

Good luck and Happy Herping
Brian

[ Hide Replies ]

• I need to know what this is before it dies !! help! - jimfmcdonald, Sun Feb 22 13:03:11 2004
• RE:Dekay's brown snake (Storeria Dekayi Dekayi)...LINK supplied! - Hotshot, Sun Feb 22 18:59:02 2004
• You beat my post by like 3 seconds... haha :- P np - snakeguy88, Sun Feb 22 19:04:52 2004
• Would have been faster, I hate when you hit the "back" button and lose... - Hotshot, Sun Feb 22 19:07:27 2004
• RE: Would have been faster, I hate when you hit the "back" button and lose... - snakeguy88, Sun Feb 22 19:42:52 2004
• RE: I need to know what this is before it dies !! help! - snakeguy88, Sun Feb 22 19:02:11 2004
• RE: I need to know what this is before it dies !! help! - trustwhitey, Mon Feb 23 11:24:26 2004
• RE: I need to know what this is before it dies !! help! - snakeguy88, Mon Feb 23 15:43:09 2004
• RE: I need to know what this is before it dies !! help! - trustwhitey, Thu Feb 26 10:31:46 2004
• RE: I need to know what this is before it dies !! help! - snakeguy88, Thu Feb 26 17:06:09 2004
• RE: I need to know what this is before it dies !! help! - peebee, Mon Feb 23 13:04:32 2004
• RE: I need to know what this is before it dies !! help! - rearfang, Mon Feb 23 16:11:08 2004
• thanks - jimfmcdonald, Tue Feb 24 19:03:58 2004