Herpetofauna: One Life's List

Storeria occipitomaculata occipitomaculata
Northern Redbelly Snake

St. Louis Co., Missouri. 1978.

Similar to the Brown Snake in habitat preference, but the Redbelly doesn't seem to have pervaded the urban environment in the same way as Storeria dekayi.  I don't find them as often as I find Brownies.  They can be very beautiful, with a belly of red, yellowish orange, or even coral pink!

The two pictured here are southern Illinois specimens, found within a foot of each other, and obligingly showing a couple of the color forms common to occipitomaculata.