Plains Blackhead Snake

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
 Plains Black-headed Snake

Habitat

  • Desert and sand prairies
  • Rocky hillsides
  • Sparsely vegetative woodlands
  • Moist soils

Diet

  • Centipedes
  • Spiders
  • Insects
  • Earthworms

Range Map