Northern Redbelly Snake

These snakes can be coloured brown or grey on the back, but the distinctive belly is bright red-orange or orange. There is usually a lighter row of spots around the neck, but the red and brown colours make it easy to tell from a Ringneck Snake.

Redbelly Snakes are widespread in Nova Scotia, but are not often seen because they usually hide under rocks, logs or even discarded junk during the day. At night, or earlier on overcast days, they come out to eat their main food item - slugs. Redbelly Snakes are a big help to people like blueberry farmers because they eat the slugs that damage fruit.

Red-bellied Snakes do not lay eggs. Females have 3 to 12 young in late summer, born alive. The young start life at 7 to 10 cm long, and grow to 20 to 30 cm as adults.