Now we see a brown snake or two almost every day, especially when pulling out old raised beds. They are usually lying alone or in pairs, in dark, cool places, like under stones and rotting timbers. They really are called "brown snakes," the genus name is Storeria. They eat worms and slugs, and are often eaten themselves by birds such as Towhees. (These striking orange, black, and white birds are regularly spotted in the Parkridge Butterfly Meadow.)
The shy, harmless brown snakes remain tiny, not much bigger than an earthworm, and are probably the most common snakes in Knoxville because they have adapted so well to urban and suburban environments. One of my Woodbine neighbors likes to see them in her garden; she takes their presence as a sign of a healthy habitat.
Brown snakes are perfect for the budding herpetologist learning how to identify, catch, and gently handle reptiles before releasing them back into the "wild." They have small heads and tiny mouths, too small to deliver a painful bite, and rows of dark spots down their backs. They will release a terrible odor if frightened, and, like all reptiles, they may carry salmonella bacteria, so it is important to have young herpetologists wash their hands afterwards.
My six-year-old daughter especially loves brown snakes, and seems to feel a lot of sympathy for them.
This afternoon when I asked her what she liked about them she replied:
"They way they feel in my hands. The one I caught yesterday was wrapping itself around my fingers, like, I want to stay with you! Sometimes they are like, I'm outta here!"
She is not allowed to keep a snake as a pet in the house, so, for now, she must enjoy them in the meadow.
