Froot, I'm glad you enjoyed the photos. Temps are currently hitting a daytime high around 26C.
Thanks, Westley. The Northern Red-bellied snake (
S. o. occipitomaculata) is a small, fossorial species found in many Midwestern and Eastern American states. They grow to a length of about 40cm maximum and feed primarily on worms, slugs, and snails. They're commonly mistaken (in their black form) for Ringneck snakes because they have a bright red or orange belly. Aside from the black/gray phase in the photo I posted, there are also red and brown phases, some with more than one dorsal color. Here are a couple more photos from last year of some of the other phases out there:
" a squat, scaly worm with, 'don't touch,' on one end and, 'that's why,' on the other."
-Thomas Palmer