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Home/Species/ Yaqui Black-headed Snake

Tantilla yaquia

Smith, 1942

Yaqui Black-headed Snake

G4Apparently Secure (G4G5) Found in 2 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G4Apparently SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106157
Element CodeARADB35130
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
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
Tanner (1966) included this species in Tantilla planiceps. See Cole and Hardy (1981) for discussion of systematics.
Conservation Status
Rank Method Rank calculation - Biotics v2
Review Date2025-12-07
Change Date2025-12-07
Edition Date2025-12-07
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G. (2005); rev. R. L. Gundy (2025)
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Rank Reasons
This species occurs from southeastern Arizona south to Nayarit, México. Little is known about the population. There are no major threats known at this time and no reports of decline.
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from southeastern Arizona (Pajarito, Mule, and Chiricahua mountains) and the lower slopes of the Guadalupe and Peloncillo mountains, New Mexico (Painter et al. 1992, Degenhardt et al. 1996) south through eastern Sonora, extreme western Chihuahua, and Sinaloa to Nayarit, México, at elevations from near sea level to about 1,680 meters (5,500 feet) (McDiarmid 1977, Stebbins 2003, Wilson and Mata Silva 2014). Using Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (2025) records, range extent is estimated to be 294,661 km² (RARECAT 2025).
Occurrences Comments
McDiarmid (1977) and Wilson and Mata Silva (2014) each mapped a couple dozen collection sites. This snake is secretive, relatively difficult to find, and certainly occurs in more locations than are presently known. Applying a 5 km separation distance to GBIF (2025) records, 81 occurrences are estimated (RARECAT 2025).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known at this time. Habitat loss due to conversion to agriculture may be a threat in the eastern portion of the range.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

In Mexico, habitats include deciduous thornforests of the Sierra Madre Occidental and tropical semiarid and dry woodland of the coastal plain; in Arizona, this snake inhabits evergreen woodland and woodlands along streams (McDiarmid 1977, Ernst and Ernst 2003, Stebbins 2003). Generally this snake is underground, or under rocks or logs.

Ecology

Secretive. Rarely seen on the surface of the ground. Predators include: snakes, lizards, and carnivorous mammals.

Reproduction

Lays a clutch of 1-4 eggs. Eggs apparently laid in late spring or summer.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - Mixed
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN2
ProvinceRankNative
New MexicoS1Yes
ArizonaS2Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
No known threats———

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Roadless Areas (2)
Arizona (1)
AreaForestAcres
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
New Mexico (1)
AreaForestAcres
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
References (17)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  2. 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.
  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. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). 2025. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) data portal. Online. Available: https://www.gbif.org/ (accessed 2025).
  10. McDiarmid, R. W. 1977. Tantilla yaquia. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 198.1-198.2.
  11. Painter, C. W., P. W. Hyder, and G. Swinford. 1992. Three species new to the herpetofauna of New Mexico. Herpetol. Review 23:62.
  12. <p>NatureServe's Rapid Analysis of Rarity and Endangerment Conservation Assessment Tool (RARECAT). 2025. Version: 2.1.1 (released April 04, 2025).</p>
  13. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  14. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  15. Tanner, W. W. 1966. A re-evaluation of the genus <i>Tantilla </i>in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Herpetologica 22: 134-153.
  16. Wilson, L. D., and V. Mata -Silva. 2014. Snakes of the genus <i>Tantilla</i> (Squamata: Colubridae) in Mexico: taxonomy, distribution, and conservation. Mesoamerican Herpetology 1: 5–95.
  17. Wilson, L. D., and V. Mata Silva. 2015. A checklist and key to the snakes of the <i>Tantilla</i> clade (Squamata: Colubridae), with comments on taxonomy, distribution, and conservation. Mesoamerican Herpetology 2: 418–498.