Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my new girlfriend brought this snake to ke that her nephew found in Iowa, it looks like some kind of grass snake or garter to me but Im in so califonia, so it is new to me. I already told her to get it some small guppies in a shallow dish and try that and some small mealworms in another dish. I think it will eat anything that moves and it can get in its small mouth. im I right? please help there were two and one has allready died.
thanks

JIM

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

a
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Everything you typed!!! I dont like the new stuff here on Kingsnake. gotta log in every time and just not as user friendly as the old. Or maybe Im just hard to please!! LOL
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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

I did the same thing too. I liked the old format where the first post would appear on your post so you could review it.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Storeria dekayi it looks like. Also called brown snake. Very common in areas in their range. Some days we can get handfuls of them. They aren't too easy to keep but eat earthworms, small amphibians, soft bodied inverts, etc. Try getting some small bait worms and see if it takes them. Personally, I would have left it where it was, though I realize you had no say in it. The young ones, IMO, don't do that well normally. They make great coral food (no offense...but we do use them as feeders down here where they are common). Good luck with it. Andy
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

You shouldn't have taken the snake. It is illegal to remove any snake from the wild in Iowa, other than garters and timber rattlers.

Read his post over smart one. A kid took it.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

Nice antagonistic attitude. I shouldn't point that out for future reference? Lighten up, dumb one.

I will make sure to do that. Since a few people had already pointed out the legality issue. I am sure telling a reputable person 10 times makes a difference, but I guess I missed the need. But I guess you need to tell a person the same thing 10 times over for it to sink in I suppose.
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Andy Maddox
AIM: SurfAndSkimTx04
MSN: Poloboy32486@hotmail.com
Yahoo:surfandskimtx04
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Burgundy baby, With your blue eyed soul, You play the hits and I'm on that roll, Capricorn sister, Freddie Mercury, Jupiter Child cry

I used to keep them during the summer when I was young. Although most fed well on earthworms, I noticed that the picky ones preferred slugs to earthworms.

That is a species of brown snake. They live usually in moist soils and feed mostly on earthworms.

Frank
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"The luxury of not getting involved departed with the last lifeboat Skipper..."

thanks to you all for the help! I will inform the 11 year old boy ! that next time he is there hunting he should leave the snakes there.

JIM