Glossy snake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Glossy snake |
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| Arizona elegans occidentalis | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Arizona
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| Species: |
elegans
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| Synonyms | |
The glossy snake (scientific name: Arizona elegans) is a cool, medium-sized snake. People also call it the faded snake because of its pale colors. This snake is a type of colubrid snake. It lives only in the southwestern United States and Mexico. There are many different kinds, or subspecies, of the glossy snake.
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About the Glossy Snake
What Does it Look Like?
Glossy snakes look a bit like gopher snakes. But glossy snakes are usually smaller. They have narrow, pointed heads. Their skin is smooth and shiny, which is why they are called "glossy."
Most glossy snakes are about 75 to 130 centimeters (30 to 50 inches) long. The longest one ever found was 142 centimeters (56 inches) long!
Their bodies are shades of tan, brown, or gray. They have spotted patterns on their backs. Their bellies are white or cream-colored and have no spots. The color of a snake often matches the color of the soil where it lives. This helps them hide!
Where Do They Live?
Glossy snakes like to live in dry, grassy areas. You can find them in the southwestern United States. This includes places from California in the west to Kansas in the east. They also live as far south as Texas and northern Mexico.
What Do They Do?
Glossy snakes are not venomous, so they are not dangerous to humans. They are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. They are predators, meaning they hunt other animals for food. They mostly eat small lizards. Sometimes, people even find them in attics!
How Do They Have Babies?
Glossy snakes are oviparous. This means they lay eggs. Adult snakes usually breed in the late spring and early summer. A mother snake will lay about 10 to 20 eggs at a time. The eggs hatch in the early summer. When baby glossy snakes hatch, they are about 25 centimeters (10 inches) long.
Different Kinds of Glossy Snakes
There are several different kinds of glossy snakes, called subspecies. Here are some of them:
- Arizona elegans arenicola — This one is called the Texas glossy snake.
- Arizona elegans candida — This is the Western Mojave glossy snake.
- Arizona elegans eburnata — This one is known as the Desert glossy snake.
- Arizona elegans elegans — This is the Kansas glossy snake.
- Arizona elegans expolita — This one is the Chihuahua glossy snake.
- Arizona elegans noctivaga — This is the Arizona glossy snake.
- Arizona elegans occidentalis — This one is called the California glossy snake.
- Arizona elegans philipi — This is the Painted Desert glossy snake.
