Western Shovel-Nosed Snake

The Western Shovel-Nosed Snake is a highly specialized desert species adapted for a life spent moving through loose sand. Its countersunk lower jaw and flattened, wedge-shaped snout allow it to literally swim through sand, foraging just below the surface for invertebrate prey.

This harmless, banded colubrid is a classic example of desert adaptation, being active on the surface primarily at night when temperatures moderate, and diving back into sand to escape heat and predators.

• Small, cylindrical body with smooth scales
• Cream to pale yellow ground color crossed by black or dark brown saddles, often alternating with orange or reddish-brown bands
• Flattened, countersunk lower jaw and shovel-like snout for burrowing
• Small eyes with round pupils
• Distinguished from banded sand snakes by the shovel-shaped snout and habitat association with fine, loose sand

Restricted to desert regions with loose, fine sand, including dunes, washes, and sandy flats of the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts. Found at low to moderate elevations in arid basins and valleys.

Nocturnal and highly fossorial, spending daylight hours buried beneath the sand surface. Emerges at night to forage for scorpions, spiders, centipedes, and insects. A gentle, inoffensive species that rarely attempts to bite. Reproduces by laying eggs during the warmer months.