The western black-headed snake (Tantilla planiceps), also known as the California black-headed snake,[2] is a snake species endemic to the Californias (the U.S. State of California and the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico), as north as the San Francisco Bay and as far east as western Utah, and Texas.[3][4][5] It lives in mostly moist pockets in mostly arid or semiarid environments and spends much of its life underground. It has a flattened head as most crevice-dwellers and is seven to fifteen inches in size. It is brown, slender, olive-gray, with a black head bordered by a white collar. Its habitat is often in woodland, desert areas, grassland and along arroyos in areas that are wet in a usually dry region.[6][7][8]
The western black-headed snake is a member of a larger natural group of small New World terrestrial colubrids, where some of the related species include sand snake (Chilomeniscus), shovel-nosed snake (Chionactis), and the ground snake (Sonora). The western black-headed snake is the sister species of Tantilla yaquia of southern Arizona.[9][10] They are also related to Tantilla gracilis, Tantilla atriceps, Tantilla hobartsmithi and Tantilla nigriceps, all species endemic to the southwestern United States. It is visually similar to the southwestern black-headed snake (T. hobartsmithi).[11] Although they usually appear singly or in pairs, as many as six individual snakes have been observed together. They prey on arthropods, particularly centipedes and beetle larvae, as well as spiders, insects, slugs, and earthworms. They are highly secretive and rarely seen, spending much time under objects, especially during daytime.[12][13][14]
Sources
↑ Hollingsworth, B., Frost, D. R. & Hammerson, G. A. 2007. Tantilla planiceps. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 19 February 2016.
↑ Bartlett, Richard D. and Alan Tennant (2000). Snakes of North America: Western Region. Gulf Publishing. Pages 50-51. ISBN9780877193128.
↑ Shaw, Charles E. and Sheldon Campbell (1974). Snakes of the American West. Knopf. Page 264. ISBN9780394488820.
↑ Basey, Harold E. (1976). Discovering Sierra Reptiles and Amphibians. YOSEMITE ASSN. Page 44. ISBN9780939666034.
↑ Stebbins, Robert Cyril (1972). Amphibians and Reptiles of California. University of California Press. Pages 130-131. ISBN9780520020900.
↑ Stebbins, Robert C. (1985). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians: Field Marks of All Species in Western North America, Including Baja California. Houghton Mifflin. Page 158. ISBN9780395936115.
↑ Schoenherr, Allan A. (1992). A Natural History of California. University of California Press. Page 524. ISBN9780520909915.
↑ Grismer, L. Lee. (2002). Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California, Including Its Pacific Islands and the Islands in the Sea of Cortés. University of California Press. Page 307. ISBN9780520925205.
↑ Stoops, Erik D. and Annette Wright (1993). Snakes and Other Reptiles of the Southwest. Golden West Publishers. Page 27. ISBN9780914846796.
↑ Stebbins, Robert C. (1985). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians: Field Marks of All Species in Western North America, Including Baja California. Houghton Mifflin. Page 218. ISBN9780395936115.
↑ Miller, Alden Holmes and Robert Cyril Stebbins (1964). The Lives of Desert Animals in Joshua Tree National Monument. University of California Press. Page 425. ISBN9780520008663.
↑ Stebbins, Robert Cyril (1974). Reptiles and Amphibians of the San Francisco Bay Region. University of California Press. Page 48. ISBN9780520012110.
↑ Stebbins, Robert Cyril (1972). Amphibians and Reptiles of California. University of California Press. Page 5. ISBN9780520020900.
Pituophis catenifer is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake endemic to North America. Nine subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominotypical subspecies, Pituophis catenifer catenifer, described here. This snake is often mistaken for the prairie rattlesnake, but can be easily distinguished from a rattlesnake by the lack of black and white banding on its tail and by the shape of its head, which is narrower than a rattlesnake's.
Rena humilis, known commonly as the western blind snake, the western slender blind snake, or the western threadsnake, is a species of snake in the family Leptotyphlopidae. The species is endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Six subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate subspecies described here.
The gray-banded kingsnake, sometimes referred to as the alterna or the Davis Mountain king snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico. Some sources list two distinct subspecies of Lampropeltis alterna, as L. a. alterna and L. a. blairi differentiated by patterning and locale, but research has shown them to be color morphs of the same species.
The Baja California leopard lizard, also known commonly as Cope's leopard lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Crotaphytidae. The species is endemic to Baja California and adjacent southern California.
The Baja California collared lizard or Baja black-collared lizard is a species of lizard in the family Crotaphytidae. The species is endemic to southern California and Baja California (Mexico).
The orange-throated whiptail is a species of lizard in the family Teiidae. The species was previously placed in the genus Cnemidophorus. Three subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.
Sauromalus ater, also known as the common chuckwalla, is a species of lizard in the family Iguanidae. It inhabits the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts of the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range extends from eastern California, Utah, and Nevada south to Baja California and Sonora.
The long-nosed snake is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to North America. It has two recognized subspecies. The other species in the genus were previously considered subspecies.
Salvadora is a genus of colubrid snakes commonly called patchnose snakes or patch-nosed snakes, which are endemic to the western United States and Mexico. They are characterized by having a distinctive scale on the tip of the snout.
Tantilla is a large genus of harmless New World snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus includes 66 species, which are commonly known as centipede snakes, black-headed snakes, and flathead snakes.
The western ground snake is a species of small, harmless colubrid snake. The species is endemic to North America. Its patterning and coloration can vary widely, even within the same geographic region. Another common name is miter snake referring to the head marking which suggests a bishop's miter; the synonym "episcopus " is a similar allusion.
Tantilla hobartsmithi, commonly known as the southwestern blackhead snake, is a species of small colubrid snake native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
The two-striped garter snake is a species of aquatic garter snake, which is endemic to western North America.
The California whipsnake, also known as the striped racer, is a colubrid snake found in habitats of the coast, desert, and foothills of California.
The striped whipsnake is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Colubridae. It is closely related to the California whipsnake. The striped whipsnake is native to the western United States and adjacent northern Mexico.
Salvadora hexalepis, the western patch-nosed snake, is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake, which is endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
The southeastern crown snake is a common species of small colubrid snake endemic to the southeastern United States.
The rim rock crowned snake, named after the Miami Rim Rock land arrangement, is a non-venomous endangered species of snake belonging to the family Colubridae. The rim rock crowned snake is endemic to the United States throughout southern Florida. The specific name, oolitica, refers to the oolitic limestone area of Florida in which the species is found. All species of snakes that belong to the genus Tantilla, are relatively small and usually do not exceed 20 cm (8 in). The species T. oolitica was added to the IUCN Red List in 2007 as a result of loss in habitat and restricted range.
Micruroides is a genus of venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae. The genus is monotypic, containing only the species Micruroides euryxanthus.
Robert Cyril Stebbins was an American herpetologist and illustrator known for his field guides and popular books as well as his studies of reptiles and amphibians. His Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, first published in 1966, is still considered the definitive reference of its kind, owing to both the quality of the illustrations and the comprehensiveness of the text. A professor of zoology at the University of California, Berkeley, for over 30 years, he was the first curator of herpetology at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, a 1949 Guggenheim fellow, and author of over 70 scientific articles. His discovery of the ring species phenomenon in Ensatina salamanders is now a textbook example of speciation, and he performed extensive research on the parietal eye of reptiles. He produced nature films, supported science education in primary grades, and organized conservation efforts that aided in the passing of the 1994 California Desert Protection Act. After retirement he continued to paint, collect field notes, and write books. Stebbins is commemorated in the scientific names of three species: Batrachoseps stebbinsi, the Tehachapi slender salamander; Anniella stebbinsi, a legless lizard; and Ambystoma tigrinum stebbinsi, the endangered Sonora tiger salamander.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
