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Southwestern BlackHead Snake Range Map






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Southwestern BlackHead Snake Juvenile

Home »» Snakes »» Colubridae (Colubrids) »» Southwestern BlackHead Snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi)


Southwestern BlackHead Snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi)STATUS





Description: The southwestern blackhead snake is a small snake, growing to a maximum total length (including tail) of 15 inches, but typically averaging around 8 inches in total length. Dorsally, it is uniformly brown in color, except for the black-colored head, which gives it its common name, and a cream-colored or white collar. On the belly, there is a broad reddish stripe, which runs down the center of the ventral scales.


Habitat: Found in desert, grassland, sagebrush, creosote bush, chaparral, juniper scrub, open coniferous forests. Prefers canyon bottoms and the rocky edges of streams and washes. Often found beneath rocks, plant debris, and other surface cover.


Range: The known range of this species in California and elsewhere is spotty due to its secretive nature. Its range is probably less disjointed than the records show. It has been recorded from the southern Sierra Nevada foothills and in the southern San Joaquin Valley, in the Owens Valley north to the White Mountains, through the Death Valley region, and in isolated locations in the eastern Mojave desert. Outside of California, it occurs in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico.


Found in these States: AZ | CA | CO | NM | NV | TX | UT


Diet: Eats a variety of invertebrates and their larvae including millipedes and centipedes


Reproduction: Females are oviparous, laying up to 3 eggs in summer.


Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining.


Taxonomy:

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Scaled Reptiles
           »» Suborder: Serpentes
             »» Superfamily: Colubroidea
               »» Family: Colubridae - Colubrids
                   »» Genus: Tantilla
                     »» Species: Tantilla hobartsmithi - Southwestern BlackHead Snake

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tantilla hobartsmithi", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.

 

 

 

 


Recommended Books at Amazon.com


U.S. Guide to Venomous Snakes and Their Mimics     Venomous Snakebite in the Western United States     Venomous Snakes Of The Southeast     The 10 Most Dangerous Snakes in the United States and Canada



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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.

 
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