Other Names: Black-headed Snake
Scientific Name: Tantilla nigriceps
Family: Colubridae
Description & Size
- Legless
- No eyelids
- Lacks external ears
- Scales on the back are smooth
- Divided anal scale
- Head relatively small and triangular
- Total length: 17.8-38.4 cm (7.0-15.1 in)
- Back color: tan
- Belly color: white
- Dark brown or black marking extending from the top of the head to the neck
Life History
- Nocturnal
- Active season: Early April – late September
- Breeding season: spring
- Lays eggs
- 1-4 eggs per female
Habitat
- Desert and sand prairies
- Rocky hillsides
- Sparsely vegetative woodlands
- Moist soils
Diet
- Centipedes
- Spiders
- Insects
- Earthworms
Range Map
Most common range within the last 50 years and does not include outliers. For more info email dferraro1@unl.edu