- Tantilla hobartsmithi
Taxobox
name = Southwestern Blackhead Snake
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Reptilia
ordo =Squamata
subordo =Serpentes
familia =Colubrid ae
genus = "Tantilla "
species = "T. hobartsmithi"
binomial = "Tantilla hobartsmithi"
binomial_authority = Taylor, 1936The Southwestern Blackhead Snake ("Tantilla hobartsmithi") is a small
species ofcolubrid snake native to the southwesternUnited States and northernMexico . The epithet "hobartsmithi" is in honor of American zoologistHobart M. Smith , which sometimes leads it to be referred to as Smith's Blackhead Snake. It was first described byEdward Harrison Taylor in 1936.Description
The Southwestern Blackhead Snake is a small snake, growing to a maximum of 15 inches, but typically average around 8 inches. It is uniformly brown in color, except for a black colored head, which gives it its common name. They are
rear-fanged , having enlarged rear teeth and a modified saliva that is, while harmless to mammals, is believed to be toxic toarthropod s, their primary diet.Behavior
Blackhead Snakes are primarily nocturnal and
fossorial , spending most of their time hiding in loose soil, leaf litter, or under ground debris. They eat most varieties of soft-bodiedinsect andcentipede s.Geographic range
The Southwestern Blackhead Snake is found in the southwestern United States, in the states of
California ,Nevada ,Utah ,Colorado ,Arizona ,New Mexico , andTexas , as well as in northernMexico , in the states ofSonora ,Chihuahua andCoahuila .References
*EMBL species|genus=Tantilla|species=hobartsmithi
* [http://www.wildherps.com/species/T.hobartsmithi.html Wildherps: Smith's Blackhead Snake]
* [http://pick5.pick.uga.edu/mp/20q?search=Tantilla+hobartsmithi Discover Life: "Tantilla hobartsmithi"]External links
* [http://coloherp.org/geo/species/spetaho.php Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Colorado: Southwestern Blackhead Snake]
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