Description
The Sharptail Snake is reddish brown to gray in colour,
with distinctive black and whitish crossbars on the belly. The
tail ends in a small sharp spine. The pupil of the eye is round.
The Sharptail Snake is a small snake and rarely grows beyond 45 cm
in total length.
Confusing Species
The Sharptail Snake is the smallest snake found in
British Columbia. There are two other unpatterned snakes in BC.
The Racer is greenish to brown,
but the
belly is always yellow. The Rubber
Boa is
uniform olive-green, reddish-brown, or brown and looks like it is
made from rubber. In addition, the tail is rounded, rather than
pointed.
Distribution
Sharptail Snakes are only found in a few areas along
the coast of British Columbia.
Habitat
A variety of habitats are used by this snake ranging
from grassland to forest. It is usually found near water or in
clearings near forests. When the soil is damp it spends much of
time under rocks or logs, but when the soil dries out it will
retreat underground.
Reproduction
Sharptail Snakes lay 2-8 eggs. The eggs hatch in late
summer and the young are approximately 7 cm long at hatching.
Natural history
There is little know about the ecology of the Sharptail
Snake. It is most often seen during the rainy season. The diet is
composed mainly of slugs.
Conservation Concerns
The Sharptail Snake is quite rare. Its preference for
coastal areas in BC places it in conflict with urban development in
these areas. Sharptail Snake is designated Endangered in Canada by
COSEWIC.
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