Gyalopion
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Gyalopion |
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Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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Gyalopion canum |
Gyalopion is a genus of small non-venomous colubrid snakes which are commonly referred to as hooknose snakes that are native to the southwest United States and Mexico.
Contents |
[edit] Taxonomy
- Western Hooknose Snake, Gyalopion canum (Cope, 1861)
- Desert Hooknose Snake, Gyalopion quadrangulare
[edit] Distribution & habitat
- G. canum - United States (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas) and Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosí, Nuevo León, Michoacán, Jalisco)
- G. quadrangulare - United States (Arizona) and Mexico (Sonora and Sinaloa)
Hooknose snakes prefer shortgrass prairie habitats.
[edit] Description
Their base color is light brown with darker brown crossbands. Their ventral color is white or cream colored. Their most distinguishing feature is an upturned snout, which has a concave scale, as opposed to hognose snakes which have a keeled scale. They rarely grow beyond 10" in length.
[edit] Behaviour
Hooknose snakes nocturnal and secretive snakes, generally found hiding under rocks, buried in the soil. Their primary diet is spiders and centipedes. They are oviparous.