Storeria

Common Brown Snake ( Storeria dekayi )

Storeria is a snake species from the family of snakes ( Colubridae ), specifically, the water snakes ( Natricinae ). The relatively small snakes are found in North and Central America.

Features

The head is slightly separated from the body. They reach a body length of about 30 centimeters. The body is usually colored brown. The tail is relatively short compared to the body size.

The body scales are keeled and arranged in 15-17 rows. Ventral scales are available 120-140. All 41-51 tail scales ( Scutum subcaudale ) are divided. The Loreale can be both present and absent. The anal is divided. Before the eye are one or two Präokulare, above the eye always a Supraokulare and behind it two to three Postokulare. Upper lip shields are usually available 6-7, lower lip shields usually seven.

System

Four species are placed in the genus Storeria:

• Common Brown Snake ( Storeria dekayi )
• Storeria hidalgoensis
• Red-bellied brown snake ( Storeria occipitomaculata )
• Storeria storerioides

Within the water snakes, they belong to the tribe Thamnophiini ( New World Natricinae ).

Dissemination

Snakes of the genus Storeria come in large parts of North, East, and Central America before while missing west of the Rocky Mountains. Storeria storerioides and Storeria hidalgoensis are restricted to Mexico. The distribution area of Storeria occipitomaculata ranges in the northwest to in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, in the north- east to Quebec and south to Missouri. Storeria dekayi lives in America east of Quebec City to Nicaragua.

Way of life

Unlike most snakes are water snakes of the genus Storeria ei - viviparous ( ovoviviparous ).

They feed mainly on insects and snails. In the latter, it is possible for them to screw to separate from her shell by the snake bites in the body of the worm. Then the worm housing between stones or the like is pinched and pulled by the body as long as loops, until the body of the screw coming off the body, after which it is swallowed. This process takes about ten minutes and is only a few other species of snakes known.