A small snake with more than 20 dark brown to black bands on a cream to light yellow background. Some subspecies have secondary orange saddles between the black bands (see subspecies descriptions below). The orange saddles are separated from the black by a margin of cream to light yellow background color. The posterior black bands usually completely encircle the body but the anterior bands do not. The snout is cream or light yellow. A black mask crosses the top of the head and covers the eyes. The underside is cream. With its countersunk jaw, valves in the nasal passages, concaved belly, and relatively flat snout, this snake is well equipped for burrowing under fine sand and loose gravel.
Ten Facts about Western Shovel-nosed Snake
- Up to 369 mm or 15" in total length.
- This snake is found in the low deserts of western and south-central Arizona at elevations ranging from near sea level to ca. 2,500'.
- Lower Colorado River Sonoran Desertscrub and Mohave Desertscrub communities are home to this snake. It is usually found in or near sandy washes or dunes in desert flats or on gently sloping bajadas.
- It is primarily crepuscular but is occasionally active into the night and on mild days.
- It hibernates under the sand or soil during the cold months of fall and winter.
- The Western Shovel-nosed Snake feeds on a variety of invertebrates including insects, spiders, centipedes, and scorpions. It may occasionally eat reptile eggs.
- Mating takes place in spring and a clutch of up to 9 eggs is laid in the summer.
- This snake is a ground dweller.
- Predators are foxes, snakes, red foxes, hawks.
- Life span can be 10-15 years.
