Smith's black-headed snake
The Southwestern blackhead snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi) is a harmless small colubrid snake found only in the United States and Mexico. The part of its scientific name 'hobartsmithi', is in honor of American zoologist and herpetologist Hobart M. Smith (1912-2013).
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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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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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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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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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Non-venomousNo
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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starts withDorsally, this snake 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.
Southwestern blackhead snakes are found in the southwestern United States, in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah, as well as in northern Mexico, in Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora. They live in desert, grasslands, shrublands, chaparral and riparian woodlands, and forests.
Blackhead snakes are fossorial and secretive and thus little is known about its behavior. They are active during the night and spend most of their time hiding in loose soil, leaf litter, or underground debris.
The Southwestern blackhead snake is rear-fanged, having enlarged rear teeth and modified saliva. Its venom is harmless to humans and mammals, but is believed to be toxic to arthropods, its primary prey.
These snakes are carnivores and eat various soft-bodied insects and centipedes.
Little is known about the mating system and reproductive behavior of this species. They are oviparous and females lay up to 3 eggs in summer.
There are no major threats to this species at present.
According to the IUCN Red List, the Southwestern blackhead snake is locally common throughout its range but no overall population estimate is available. Its total adult population size is not known but presumably exceeds 10,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
