Posted by Laura McDonald on October 7, 2008

Q: Hi! I'm hoping you can help us identify a tiny snake we found in a wetland/forest area in East Central Indiana. The snake was hiding in some fallen leaves on a path. It was tan, with a dark stripe just behind the head and small brown spots down the sides that form broken rings around the body. The total length was around 8 inches, very slender with a markedly skinny tail for the last 2 inches or so. The snake was very placid, allowing several children to pass it back and forth without striking or trying very hard to escape.

I can send some cell phone pictures if that would help—they're not high quality, but they could give you the general idea.

Thanks!

Laura & several curious kids

State: Indiana

Habitat: forest/open woods

A: Thanks for the photos. Although difficult to see details, they do help with the general look and size of the snake. Your snake is an especially nice species called the Northern Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi). Those living in the Indiana area are a wee bit different and are a subspecies called the Midland Brown Snake but that's getting a bit more detailed than you may want. These snakes never get very large (9-13") are often quite docile when encountered, and are certainly harmless to people and pets.

I found a nice website from Indiana that shows a Northern Brown Snake and discusses this species at: herpcenter.ipfw.edu

Thanks for asking and I hope your kids will continue to enjoy the outdoors.

John Wiessinger ( October 8, 2008)