#storeria

[herpsandbirds]

Florida Brownsnake (Storeria victa), family Colubridae, West Palm Beach, Florida, USA

photograph by Chad Keates

[h3aso3]

I like drawing snakes

I hope someday DeKay's Brown Snakes become at least a decent part of the reptile-keeping hobby, and that maybe some morphs will be discovered, like Albinism, Melanism, or Piebaldism. I mean seriously, I looked to see if there were ANY on Morph Market, any breeders on Facebook or Instagram, but no, the only ones for sale are being sold by companies known for selling wild caught, diseased, dying, or dead animals. come on bros

[futurebird]

It's spring time in New York City!

It's spring time in New York City! Yesterday it felt as if the whole city had come alive. Tulips and daffodils bloom, the moss on the old stone wall caught droplets of morning due. On my way to the bus stop in the South Bronx I encountered a DeKay's brown snake on the sidewalk near the park, the cute little snake was sunning itself after a long winter underground.

Gently, I picked her up (I had a look at the tail and I think it is a female) and moved her to a nice warm rock away from foot traffic. This is the first snake I've ever seen in NYC and it's my favorite species!

I’ve wanted to have a Dekay’s brown snake a a pet forever— I think a terrarium with Storeria dekayi and carpenter ants would be amazing— but if she now lives in the park I can go see her there.  Even better. She eat snails, slugs and worms and lord knows we have those over by that wall. I suspect there is one of NYC’s many secret buried streams and brooks under the wall in the park. It’s so moist all of the time.   Some of the local teens on their way to school and stopped to admire the snake. They were a little scared at first "oh no she's got a snake!" but I was able to tell them a little about the snake and how they are harmless and a sign that our little local park is doing well ecologically. 

Later this same day I was walking down Park Ave. down on the upper east when out of the corner of my eye I spied an ant queen. I can always tell ant queens by the way they walk... or rather waddle. Looks like Prenolepis imparis, or the American winter ant. She was hustling along the side walk as if on her way to the Chanel store. Now she’s in one of my luxury ant condos— (but don’t tell her I’ve moved her out to the Bronx.)     

I fed her a drop of sugar water which she accepted, now she is in my ant drawer snug in her test tube. I will post updates about this queen, and if she makes it. Over on Mastodon I asked for help naming her and we decided to call her "Ethel." I've never kept this species before, so I'm reading about their needs.

Ethel is cute & round, settling in to her "Luxery ant condo" (It's a test tube.) She enjoyed a little sugar water, now she's in the darkness of the ant drawer. She looks very well-fed, so I think there is a good chance she will lay lots of eggs.

In four or five days I'll check on her again. Sometimes new queens just die. So, many don't like to name a queen until she has her first workers. But I'm cheering for this little urban ant.

[herps-and-noods]

Found this little friend at work! Not very happy to be disturbed, but she’ll thank me later for relocating her a good distance away from the building (and my terrified coworkers).

[mellifexfarm]

look at this tiny and angry snake i found near the compost pile! the chickens watched and made beeping noises

[herpsandbirds]

Florida Brown Snake (Storeria victa), family Colubridae, Okeeheelee Park, West Palm Beach, FL, USA

photograph by Chad Keates

[herpsandbirds]

Local expert helped me confirm this is a Dekay’s Brown Snake.

Who was then moved for its safety so my dog wouldn’t harass it.

So just enjoy the cutie who pretended to be a stick in my yard.

What a cutie!

[herpsandbirds]

Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi), family Colubridae, ONT, Canada

photograph by Matt Ireland