California Night Snake
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| California Night Snake | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Hypsiglena torquata nuchalata Tanner, 1943 |
The California Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata nuchalata) is a species of small colubrid snake native to California.
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[edit] Description
The California Night Snake grows from 12 to 26 inches (30 to 66 cm) in length, with hatchlings about 7 inches.[1]
The snake has a narrow flat head, smooth scales in 19 rows, and eyes with vertically elliptical pupils.[1]They are considered to be rear-fanged venomous, but not dangerous to humans.[1]
The color varies from light grey, light brown, tan, or cream, often matching the substrate of the reigion, with dark brown or dark grey blotches down the back and sides.[1] The underside is whitish or yellowish and unmarked, and they usually has a pair of large dark markings on the neck, and a dark bar through or behind the eyes.[1]
[edit] Behavior
As their common name implies, they are a primarily nocturnal snake.[1] Their diet consists of primarily lizard, but they will also eat smaller snakes and occasionally soft bodied insect. They prefer semi-arid habitats with rocky soils. They are an oviparous species that breed from April to September.
[edit] Geographic range
The California Night Snake ranges throughout western California, ringing the central valley, but is not found in the valley itself.[1] It is one of two night snake species in the state. The other is the Desert Night Snake.
