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Home/Species/ Smith's Black-headed Snake

Tantilla hobartsmithi

Taylor, 1936

Smith's Black-headed Snake

G5Secure Found in 21 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103258
Element CodeARADB35140
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyColubridae
GenusTantilla
Other Common Names
Southwestern Black-headed Snake (EN) Southwestern Blackhead Snake (EN)
Concept Reference
Cole, C. J., and L. M. Hardy. 1981. Systematics of North American colubrid snakes related to Tantilla planiceps (Blainville). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 171:199-284.
Taxonomic Comments
Certain populations of this species formerly were referred to as Tantilla planiceps or Tantilla utahensis. See Cole and Hardy (1981) for the latest taxonomic revision.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-12-15
Change Date1996-10-30
Edition Date2005-12-15
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 - 300
Range Extent Comments
The known range extends discontinuously from southern California, southern Nevada, Utah, and west-central Colorado south to Arizona, southern New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico (Sonora, Chihuahua, and Coahuila) (Cole and Hardy 1981, 1983; Stebbins 2003).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (see map in Cole and Hardy 1983).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitats include pinyon-juniper woodland, chaparral-woodland, riparian woodland, mesqite-yucca grassland, sagebrush-greasewood, cedar-ocotillo, persimmon-shin oak, mesquite-creosote bush, and cedar-savanna (Cole and Hardy 1983, Werler and Dixon 2000, Stebbins 2003). This semifossorial snake is secretive but may travel in the open at night.

Reproduction

Known clutches have included only 1 egg, laid June-August (Cole and Hardy 1981).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralSavannaGrassland/herbaceousDesert
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoS4Yes
UtahS3Yes
ColoradoS2Yes
NevadaS4Yes
TexasS5Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
ArizonaS5Yes
Roadless Areas (21)
Arizona (13)
AreaForestAcres
Black CanyonPrescott National Forest10,683
Black CrossTonto National Forest5,966
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
HackberryPrescott National Forest914
HackberryCoconino National Forest17,885
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Middle Romero WSRCoronado National Forest60
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
Santa TeresaCoronado National Forest8,929
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
California (4)
AreaForestAcres
Black CanyonInyo National Forest32,421
Granite PeakSan Bernardino National Forest450
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lovell Summit SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,455
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
References (15)
  1. Cole, C. J., and L. M. Hardy. 1981. Systematics of North American colubrid snakes related to Tantilla planiceps (Blainville). Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 171:199-284.
  2. Cole, C. J., and L. M. Hardy. 1983. Tantilla hobartsmithi. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 318.1-318.2.
  3. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  4. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  5. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  6. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  7. Degenhardt, W. G., C. W. Painter, and A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. xix + 431 pp.
  8. Ernst, C. H., and E. M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.
  9. Hammerson, G. A. 1982b. Amphibians and reptiles in Colorado. Colorado Division of Wildlife, Denver. vii + 131 pp.
  10. Hammerson, G. A. 1999. Amphibians and reptiles in Colorado. Second edition. University Press of Colorado, Boulder. xxvi + 484 pp.
  11. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  12. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  13. Tennant, A. 1984. The Snakes of Texas. Texas Monthly Press, Austin, Texas. 561 pp.
  14. Tennant, A. 1998. A field guide to Texas snakes. Second edition. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas.
  15. Werler, J. E., and J. R. Dixon. 2000. Texas snakes: identification, distribution, and natural history. University of Texas Press, Austin. xv + 437 pp.