Brown Snakes at Mason Farm Biological Reserve (Chapel Hill, NC)

One of the most delightful surprises of warm autumn days is finding snakes warming themselves on the walking paths that cut through forest and field. Today, temperatures reached at least 72°F in the Triangle, and snakes were out basking in the sun. At Mason Farm Biological Reserve, we found three DeKay’s brown snakes (Storeria dekayi) stretched out on the graveled path.

Brown snakes are recorded year-round in North Carolina, with observations documented even in late December (for example, December 23 in Guilford County).

Reference
Palmer WM, Braswell AL. (1995). Reptiles of North Carolina. Chapel Hill (NC): University of North Carolina Press.