Long-girdled Snake
Chionactis occipitalis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Chionactis, Species: Chionactis occipitalis
Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, primarily inhabiting the Mojave, Sonoran, and Great Basin deserts.
Look up Long-girdled Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Chionactis, Species: Chionactis occipitalis
Conservation
Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List, with stable populations across most of its native desert range, though locally impacted by habitat destruction.
Physical Description
Slender body with smooth scales, exhibiting distinct alternating bands of black, orange or red, and yellow or white along the length of the body, featuring a dark-capped head.
Size & Dimensions
Specimen pictured is a juvenile approximately 6-8 inches long; adults typically reach 10 to 18 inches in total length.
Habitat
Arid and semi-arid desert environments, sandy flats, dunes, and washes with sparse vegetation, often spending daylight hours buried in loose sand.
Diet & Feeding
Specialized feeder primarily consuming arthropods such as spiders, centipedes, scorpions, and insect larvae, supplemented occasionally by small lizards.
Reproduction
Oviparous species, females typically deposit clutches of 2 to 9 eggs in underground burrows or beneath rocks during the early summer months.
Look-alikes
Frequently confused with various species of shovelnose snakes and juvenile kingsnakes, distinguished primarily by scale count, head shape, and specific band patterns.
Conservation Status
Least Concern according to the IUCN Red List, with stable populations across most of its native desert range, though locally impacted by habitat destruction.
Cultural Significance
Acts as an important natural predator of desert invertebrates, contributing to the balance of arid ecosystems.
Notable Features
Features a specialized shovel-shaped snout adapted for efficient burrowing and navigating through loose desert sand.