Faded snake
Arizona elegans is a species of medium-sized colubrid snake commonly referred to as the glossy snake or the faded snake, which is endemic to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It has several subspecies. Some have recommended that A. elegans occidentalis be granted full species status.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CrepuscularCrepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (that is, the periods of dawn and dusk). This is distinguished from diurnal...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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PredatorPredators are animals that kill and eat other organisms, their prey. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often conceal...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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TorporTorpor is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually marked by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate. Torpor enables...
Oviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
Precocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season.
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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HibernatingHibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy charac...
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AestivationAestivation is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is chara...
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starts withGlossy snakes are medium-sized nonvenomous colubrid snakes native to the United States and Mexico. They are similar in appearance to gopher snakes being smaller in size, with narrow, pointed heads, and a variety of skin patterns and colors. They appear "washed-out" or pale, hence the common name, "faded snakes". Glossy snakes are shades of tan, brown, and gray with spotted patterns on their smooth, glossy skin, and a white or cream-colored unmarked ventral surface. Coloration often varies in relation to the color of the soil in a snake's native habitat.
Glossy snakes are found in the southwestern United States, from California in the west to Kansas in the east and as far south as Texas, and northern Mexico. They inhabit open semi-arid grasslands, shrubland, sandhills, coastal scrub, desert with shrubs, and rocky washes.
Glossy snakes are active during the night and lead a solitary lifestyle. They are excellent burrowers and thus prefer to live in areas with sandy or loamy soils. They create their own burrows where they rest during the day or hibernate during cold autumn and winter months. However, they may also take shelter in abandoned burrows of small animals, under rocks and other surfaces. Glossy snakes are generally quite gentle and calm. When disturbed they will vibrate their tail and if captured may produce a musk; males, however, may strike and bite.
Glossy snakes have a carnivorous diet. They prey mainly on small lizards but will also take rodents, and small birds.
Glossy snakes are polygynandrous (promiscuous) in their mating habits meaning that both the males and the females have multiple mates. They breed in the late spring and early summer after hibernation and males typically find females by following scent trails. Glossy snakes are oviparous and females lay one clutch per year consisting of 10 to 20 eggs. The incubation period lasts about 72 days. The newly hatched young are approximately 25 cm (9.8 in) in total length and are pretected by their mother for the first few days after birth.
Glossy snakes are not considered threatened at present, however, locally some populations have suffered from urbanization and agricultural development.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total adult population size of the Glossy snake is unknown but certainly exceeds 100,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
Glossy snakes play an important role in the ecosystem they live in. They control the populations of their prey items and due to their burrowing habits, they also aid in soil aeration.