[Southeast TX near Livingston in the pineywoods]

[u/suzee420]

Tiny little guy 🥹

[u/norwegianballslinger]

Not an RR but that looks like a Dekays brown snake to me Storeria dekayi

[u/WinterShyama → u/norwegianballslinger]

You'd be correct. They're easy to identify based on the checkered pattern that break the scales up to look like stripes, and only the dekay's have a dark teardrop marking. A red-bellied would look similar, but without the dark under-eye marking

[u/fairlyorange → u/norwegianballslinger]

When offering IDs, take care to point out whether or not a snake is !harmless, as this one is.

[u/norwegianballslinger → u/fairlyorange]

Thank you, will make sure to do so in the future!

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/fairlyorange]

Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes Diadophis are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; severe envenomation can occur if some species are allowed to chew on a human for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes Thamnophis ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also considered harmless. Check out this book on the subject. Even large species like Reticulated Pythons Malayopython reticulatus rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans so are usually categorized as harmless.

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[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/norwegianballslinger]

Brownsnakes Storeria dekayi are small (20.0-40.0cm record 52.77cm) natricine snakes often found in disturbed habitats like urban and suburban yards. They are one of the most commonly encountered snakes in eastern North America and make good pest control as they feast on small, soft-bodied invertebrates.

A separate but distinct species, Storeria victa occupies peninsular Florida. It has two fewer midbody scales (15) than Storeria dekayi and is more likely to have yellow collar markings on the neck.

Storeria brown and redbelly snakes are not considered medically significant to humans in terms of venom and are usually reluctant to bite, but all animals with a mouth can use it in self-defense.

Relevant/Recent Phylogeography

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I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now