- Scientific Name
- Storeria occipitomaculata
- Range
- Everywhere Except Some Areas of Southwest Virginia
- Also Called
- Red-bellied Snake, Fire Snake
- Venomous
- No
- Features
- Light Brown, Gray, or Black Body With a Red Belly
- Prey
- Slugs, Earthworms
- Litter Size
- 2 - 12 per Birth
- Life Span
- Unknown (4 Years in Captivity)
- Length
- 8 - 10 Inches
Quick Links for Red Belly Snake
Red Belly Snake Description
Red Belly Snake Appearance
Juveniles will be uniformly black, but will have 3 yellowish dots on it’s neck.
Size
This snake is normally between 8 to 10 inches long, however, the record length for this snake is about 16 inches. The record found in Virginia is 15 inches.
Juveniles tend to be around 3 inches long.
As shown, the belly does not always have to be red, very rarely it can be orange or even yellow
Red Belly Snake Behavior
The Red Bellied Snake is actually very timid, and will almost never bite humans even when handled. They normally hide under logs, rocks, and piles of leaves.
These snakes tend to be active during the day and the night, but will become nocturnal in the summer months due to the heat.
They are non-venomous, and their mouth is so small that there will never be any serious harm from the bite.
It is illegal in Virginia to keep Wild Snakes as pets
Range and Habitat of The Red Belly Snake
Range
These snakes range does not cover southwestern Virginia, however, some can appear in areas such as Roanoke. They are a very common snake in every state east of Kansas, and they go as far south as Florida and as far north as Quebec and Manitoba Canada.
Habitat
Their habitat consists of forests, and the forest edges, but they are most common in plains and meadows with a lot of moisture. Unlike the Dekay’s Brown Snake, this snake does not like the urban environment and prefers to stay near forests and plains.
These snake’s range can extend to southwestern Virginia. Although it is rare.
Diet
Their main diet are slugs, but they have been seen eating other soft insects such as earthworms.
Reproduction and Young
Reproduction
Mating for these snakes occurs in the spring or the late summer. If the female mates too late then she will carry the sperm until the spring to lay her eggs then.
Eggs and Young
Juveniles are a noticeably lighter color when compared to adults.