Colubridae
Common Glossy Snake
Arizona elegans
A closer look
Smooth scales give this nocturnal snake a polished, glossy shine. It is most often associated with prairie, scrub and desert and typically feeds on lizards and rodents.
- Habitat
- Prairie, scrub & desert
- On the menu
- Lizards and rodents
- Behavior
- A flexible hunter whose activity and escape behavior vary with habitat and temperature.
Not considered venomous to people. Observe without handling, and never corner or relocate a wild snake.
Safety & bite guidance ↗Where it is listed
A sense of place.
Checklist presence only. A highlighted state is not a local range boundary. Territory tiles are schematic.
State & territory checklist
About continuous range data
A verified habitat-model layer is not available for this species in this release. Earlier broad sketches connected jurisdiction locations; they did not show measured occurrence or USGS habitat predictions.
Use USGS distribution resources ↗ for available modeled habitat data.
Names, sources & image evidence
Also known as: Glossy Snake
Taxonomy: provisional. Territory checklist entries may be provisional. Field descriptions include broad group-level natural-history summaries.
Research Grade iNaturalist observation 42032278 has exact taxon Arizona elegans
Conservation & local rules
Collection, possession, relocation, and protection rules vary by state and territory. Check the relevant wildlife agency before taking action. Leave wild snakes where they are.