A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

California Shovel-nosed Snakes

Click on a picture for a larger view

Small, harmless, nocturnal snakes of open sandy deserts, rocky washes. Found mostly at night, often on desert roads. Three subspecies are found in California. Check the range map to determine which one is in your area. This snake, especially the Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake, might look like the venomous coral snake, but there are no Coral Snakes found in California. The long, flat snout will help differentiate this snake from other similar snakes - the Long-nosed snake, the Variable Ground Snake, and even the Variable Sandsnake, which may occur in California in the same habitat as the Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake.

The snout is lone and shovel-like	Colorado Desert Shovel-nosed Snake Chionactis occipitalis annulata

Nevada Shovel-nosed Snake Chionactis occipitalis talpina	Mojave Shovel-nosed Snake Chionactis occipitalis occipitalis