Mesa Verde Night Snake (Hypsiglena chlorophaea loreala)
Description: Adults can be 12 - 26 inches long. Most seen are 8 - 12 inches long, rarely over 16 inches. Hatchlings are about 7 inches in length. A small slender snake with a narrow flat head, smooth scales in 21 rows, and vertical pupils. Color varies, often matching the substrate, from light gray, light brown, beige, to tan or cream, with dark brown or gray blotches on the back and sides. Usually a pair of large dark markings on the neck and a dark bar through or behind the eyes. Whitish or yellowish and unmarked underneath. There is usually a V- or lyre-shaped marking on the head.
Habitat: Found in a variety of habitats, often arid areas, from chaparral, Sagebrush flats, deserts, suburban lots and gardens, mountain meadows, grassland. Most commonly found in areas with abundant surface cover.
Range: Its range is Utah, western Colorado, northern, western, and much of southwestern Arizona
Diet: Eats a wide range of terrestrial vertebrates, mostly lizards and their eggs, sometimes small snakes, frogs, and salamanders.
Reproduction: Lays eggs from April to September.
Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the wide distribution, large number of locations, presumed large population, lack of major threats, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.
Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
){kind=link}
){kind=link}