Sports

SNAKESof Luzerne COunty

By Tom Venesky tvenesky@timesleader.com
Sports Reporter
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FAIRMOUNT TOWNSHIP – It was a little bit of a letdown when Rick Koval and I finally found a Northern red-bellied snake last week.

After weeks of searching numerous locations for the snake, we finally found a bunch hidden under rocks high on a mountain.

It was a letdown because the red-bellied snake is a non-descript brown that really doesn’t make it unique from any other species. It doesn’t really stand out.

Until you look underneath.

While the top of the snake is a drab brown, the belly is a brilliant red, matched only by the color on a red-headed woodpecker. As I gently let the snake crawl through my fingers, the sun high-lighted the bright red underside. This species clearly lives up to its name.

“It is one of the more colorful varieties,” Koval said. “When I got interested in snakes, this was one I was eager to find because I wanted to see the color.”

The red-bellied snake is a cousin to the Northern brown snake. They are both non-venomous and similar in build. While the brown snake prefers lower elevation, the red-bellied snake is common in higher locales.

The docile red-bellied snake lives under rocks and logs and shares the same habitat with green and ringneck snakes.

The red-bellied snake is a livebearer and reclusive in nature. It protects itself by secreting a musky odor to deter predators.

at a glance

Species: Northern red-bellied snake

Habitat: wooded areas in higher elevations

Food: earthworms, snails, slugs

Size: up to 12 inches

Status: localized, common in suitable habitat

Fact: Despite the brilliant red streak on its belly, the Latin name for the red-bellied snake is storeria occipitomaculata which refers to the three light spots on the snake’s head.

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