Tantilla

Tantilla
Flathead Snake, Tantilla gracilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Subfamily: Colubrinae
Genus: Tantilla
Baird & Girard, 1853

Tantilla is a large genus of harmless colubrid snakes which includes 64 species commonly known as centipede snakes, blackhead snakes, and flathead snakes.

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Description

Tantilla are small snakes, rarely exceeding 8 inches in length. They are generally varying shades of brown, red or black in color. Some species have a brown body with a black head.

Behavior

Tantilla are nocturnal, secretive snakes. They spend most of their time buried in the moist leaf litter of semi-forested regions or under rocks and debris. Their diet consists primarily of invertebrates, including scorpions, centipedes, spiders, and various insects.

Species

References