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When discovered by humans, Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) exhibits a range of defensive behaviours that are likely used to cope with a variety of potential predators. After being handled, a brownsnake at Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, was observed to coil the anterior portion of its body and to sway the coil from side to side as it attempted to flee. Swaying has rarely been documented in Dekay's Brownsnake and may be a tactic to distract or confuse a visually oriented predator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding habitat selection is a fundamental goal of ecology and is vitally important for effective species conservation. Dekay's Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi; hereafter "Brownsnake") is one of the most widespread snake species in eastern North America, and its association with cover objects is generally well known, but details regarding choice of refuges are largely unknown. We investigated Dekay's Brownsnake microhabitat use during annual surveys at Point Pelee National Park, Ontario, Canada from 1990 to 2010. We systematically checked all woody debris in stabilized dune habitat for snakes and noted the size and state of decay of woody debris that was used. Nearly all of our observations were of gravid females under woody debris. Greater use of large, moderately decayed woody debris relative to the range of available debris provided strong evidence of selection. Although most snakes observed were solitary, we found a significant number of aggregations. Female Brownsnakes appear to migrate to stabilized dune from other habitats in the park to select suitable woody debris for gestation and parturition. Although these refuge sites would reduce predation risk, they also provide a moister and cooler microclimate than ambient conditions. Numerous observations of shed skins also suggested that this woody debris provides important microhabitat for ecdysis. Analysis of relative abundance over time showed considerable variation in numbers (1-31/yr) and an increasing trend. Our results provide strong evidence of microhabitat selection by this species and highlight the importance of not making generalizations about microhabitat requirements, even for common snake species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that examined the seasonal activity and aspects of reproduction of a snake assemblage at the James H. Barrow Field Station (JHBFS) in northeastern Ohio from September 2001 to September 2004. In the study, peak activity of five species including Lampropeltis triangulum, Nerodia sipedon and Storeria dekayi were captured under cover boards in June and August. It indicates that there is a peak of activity among juveniles in August. It also emphasizes the importance of the temporally localized peak of activity when considering mechanisms for maintaining the integrity of vanishing habitats.

Death feigning is a potentially important behaviour used by a wide variety of animals to increase the probability of escape from a would-be predator. Few data are available on the influence of various factors on death feigning in vertebrates, especially ectotherms, because of difficulties in consistently stimulating the behaviour under controlled conditions. I examined the effects of temperature, body size and locomotor performance on death feigning in neonate brown snakes, Storeria dekayi, in the laboratory. Brown snakes consistently feigned death in water, and contrary to predictions, were more likely to feign death and to feign death longer as temperature increased. Q10 values for death-feigning durations (mean=2.79) were greater than those for maximal swimming velocities (mean=1.77) between 10°C and 20°C. However, no statistical difference was detected between Q10 values for feigning durations (mean=1.11) and swimming velocities (mean=1.28) between 20°C and 30°C. At 30°C, swimming velocity was negatively correlated with death-feigning duration. Moreover, body size was negatively related to death-feigning duration at 30°C. These results suggest that temperature probably plays a large role in the decision by ectotherms to death feign, and that an animal''s locomotor abilities and body size potentially influence the likelihood and duration of death feigning at optimal temperatures. However, physiological constraints greatly reduce the use of death-feigning behaviours at suboptimal temperatures, regardless of locomotor abilities and body size. Therefore, other stationary defensive behaviours are probably more important at suboptimal temperatures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary 1. For gape-limited predators such as snakes, it should be possible to predict the relationship between maximum prey size and body size from the relationship between maximum prey size and gape size and between gape size and body size. Such predictions were generated for Water Snakes, Nerodia sipedon L., using a data subset and then tested with a larger data set. 2. Gape size was computed based on jaw length and width and cyclical regression was used to identify prey of maximum size for snakes of a given gape or mass. 3. Predicted and observed maximum prey cross-section–snake mass allometry were in good agreement. Predicted maximum prey mass–snake mass allometry somewhat exceeded observed allometry which did not differ from 1. 4. Observed minimum prey size–snake size allometry was significantly greater than 0, indicating that larger snakes drop small prey from their diets. 5. Gape size–body size allometry in two other natricine snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis , Storeria dekayi ) suggest that patterns of ontogenetic change in prey size should differ among species in predictable ways. 6. Sex differences in gape size–snake size allometry suggest that sex differences in maximum prey size should increase with increasing snake size, even when linear measures of head dimensions do not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers a report on incidents of predation on giant earthworms by individuals of the brown-banded water snake Helicops angulatus (H. angulatus), a member of the tribe Hydropsini. It focuses on the eating behavior of the aquatic snakes, under the report. It informs that the frogs, their tadpoles, and aquatic lizards are prey for H. angulatus. Predation on earthworms has been reported for several Neotropical snakes including Thamnophis, Storeria, Virginia. The report states that Giant earthworms in the family Glossoscolecidae are the abundant and reliable food resource for H. angulatus.

The article offers information on the Storeria Dekayi or Dekay's Brownsnake highlighting the defensive behavior of the snake which involve concealment death-feigning, and flattening, and discusses the striking behavior of the snake species.