(Storeria o. occipitomaculata)

{Northern Redbelly Snake}

IDENTIFICATION: A small, chestnut brown or slate gray snake with keeled dorsal scales. The venter is bright red or orange. There are three light yellow spots behind the head. Adult total length 210-290 mm.

Recent fieldwork has greatly increased the number of known sites for this species in Connecticut, where it appears to be widely distributed in upland regions. Almost all documented localities are from the northern tier counties, but there are specimens from southeastern Connecticut near the Rhode Island state line. The redbelly snake is presently secure within Connecticut.

Snakes | Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut