▁with ▁small ▁black ▁d ots ▁at ▁the ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁vent ral ▁scales . ▁Ad ult s ▁usually ▁measure ▁less ▁than ▁ ▁in ▁total ▁length ▁( including ▁tail ), ▁but ▁the ▁record ▁total ▁length ▁is ▁. ▁It ▁has ▁ke e led ▁d ors al ▁scales , ▁and ▁no ▁l ore al ▁scale . ▁ ▁Re production ▁Like ▁other ▁nat ric ine ▁sn akes ▁( such ▁as ▁waters n akes , ▁genus ▁N er odia ; ▁and ▁gar ters n akes , ▁genus ▁Th am n oph is ), ▁St or eria ▁de k ay i ▁is ▁an ▁ov ov iv ip ar ous ▁species . ▁ ▁Diet St or eria ▁de k ay i ▁primarily ▁fe eds ▁on ▁sl ugs , ▁sn ails , ▁and ▁earth w orm s . ▁Re ports ▁of ▁other ▁in verte br ates ▁( e . g ., ▁sow ▁bugs , ▁mit es , ▁mill ip edes ) ▁in ▁the ▁di et ▁of ▁S . ▁de k ay i ▁are ▁most ▁likely ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁accident al ▁ing estion . ▁For ▁example , ▁during ▁pred ation , ▁in verte br ates ▁may ▁ad here ▁to ▁a ▁sl ug ▁being ▁consum ed ▁by ▁a ▁s nake . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁The ▁specific ▁name , ▁de k ay i , ▁is ▁in ▁honor ▁of ▁American ▁zo ologist ▁James ▁Ell sw orth ▁De ▁Kay ▁( 1 7 9 2 – 1 8 5 1 ), ▁who ▁collected ▁the ▁first ▁spec imen ▁on ▁Long ▁Island , ▁New ▁York , ▁while ▁the