A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Contia tenuis - Sharp-tailed Snake

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Range in California: Red

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Adult, Butte County

Juvenile, Butte County

Adult, Placer County

Adult, Lake County

Adult, coiled defensively hiding its head, Contra Costa County

Adult, Contra Costa County

Adult, Yuba County

Underside of adult, Santa Clara County

Sharp point at the tip of the tail.

Adult, Monterey County
© Patrick Briggs

Fresno County © Patrick Briggs

Adult, San Mateo County
© Rory Doolin

Juveniles, Contra Costa County

Adult, Alameda County
© David Kositchek

Adult, Lake County. © Nancy Mittasch

Juvenile, Contra Costa County

Adult, Butte County

Juvenile, about 4 inches in length, Monterey County © Katie Zarn.

Unusually-colored Juvenile from Butte County, probably hypo-melanistic or amelanistic. © Jackson Shedd

Typical and pinkish-orange morphs
© Rodney Lacey, who finds both morphs together in Butte County.

Often several Sharp-tailed Snakes are found underneath the same cover object, in this case a large board in San Mateo County. © Rory Doolin

Habitat

Riparian mixed woodland/grassland habitat, Contra Costa County

Mixed woodland/grassland habitat beside reservoir, Contra Costa County

Habitat, Butte County

Habitat, next to small creek, Lake County

Riparian mixed woodland/grassland habitat, Contra Costa County

Habitat, Placer County

Comparisons of the Two Species of Contia

Adult C. longicaudae from Santa Cruz County, and Adult C. tenuis from Santa Clara County.

C. longicaudae on left,
C. tenuis on right.
(The C. longicaudae is in shed, so its color is duller than normal.)

C. tenuis on the left,
C. longicaudae on the right.

C. longicaudae on top,
C. tenuis on bottom.

Identifying Contia species

Contia longicaudae went unnoticed for a long time because of its similarities to Contia tenuis and because of the fossorial and secretive nature of sharp-tailed snakes and of their seasonally-limited period of activity.

The easiest way to differentiate the two species in the field is to look at the caudal scales and the tail length. (Caudal scales are the scales on the tail behind the cloaca.) C. longicaudae has a longer tail with more caudal scales than C. tenuis. C. longicaudae has from 43 to 58 caudal scales, while C. tenuis has from 24 - 43. The tail of C. longicaudae averages 20 percent of the total length of the snake. The tail of C. tenuis averages 14.5 percent of the total length.

C. longicaudae has narrow black crossbars marking the anterior portion of the ventral scutes, covering only 1/3 to 1/4 of each ventral. The cross bands on C. tenuis are thicker, covering 1/2 to 1/3 of each ventral.

There are also subtle differences in dorsal and ventral coloration and pigmentation, but these probably won't help in identification.

Short Video

Sharp-tailed snakes found under trash in April in Placer County.

Description

Nonvenomous

Considered harmless to humans.

Size

A small snake - Adults average 8 - 12 inches in total length, with some nearly 18 inches long. Hatchlings are about 3 inches long.

Appearance

Adults are gray or brownish red above, with alternating crossbars of black and cream or light gray underneath. Sometimes there is a yellowish or reddish line on the upper sides. Juveniles are reddish with dark lines on the sides. The tail has a sharp spine at the tip, which gives this snake its name.

Behavior

Secretive, spends much time under surface objects or underground. A good burrower. Prefers moist environments. Active when the ground is damp, occasionally during or after rains, and sometimes when surface temperatures are as lowas 50 degrees.
Long teeth allow the snake to hold on to its slippery prey.

Diet

Feeds on slugs and their eggs and on slender salamanders.

Reproduction

Lays eggs in June or July. Hatchlings emerge in mid-autumn.

Range

Ranges from British Columbia and Vancouver Island south to near San Luis Obispo on the coast, and inland along the foothills of the Sierras south to Tulare County.

There does not appear to be much overlap in range between C. tenuis and C. longicaudae, and they have not yet been found at the same location, but the two species come into close proximity in California in San Mateo County, and in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, and in Southwestern Oregon. (I have indicated in gray on the range map one area in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties where their distribution may overlap. There could also be other areas of overlap in California, including San Mateo county and the border of Humboldt and Trinity counties.) They appear to be segregated by habitat type in these areas. C. longicaudae typically occurs in moist well-forested areas, while C. tenuis occurs in somewhat drier, more open habitats of grassland, mixed woodland, and occasionally chaparral.

Habitat

Found in woodland, forests, grassland, chaparral, often near streams or water. Requires moist soil. Often encountered underneath surface objects in open grassy areas near forests, especially on sunny days after rain. Can also be found in piles of gravel. From sea level to 6,600 ft.

Taxonomic Notes

The snake traditionally known as Contia tenuis was found to consist of two species which are almost identical in appearance. The new species, Contia longicaudae, was discovered by Richard Hoyer based on differences in size, scale counts, and habitat preference. DNA evidence was presented by Feldman and Spicer in 2002. (Journal of Herpetology 36(4): 648-655). A formal description of the new species was published in 2010:

Chris R. Feldman, Richard F. Hoyer A New Species of Snake in the Genus Contia (Squamata: Colubridae) from California and Oregon. Copeia May 2010, Vol. 2010, No. 2 : pp. 254-267.

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

None.

Taxonomy
Family	Colubridae	Colubrids
Genus	Contia	Sharp-tailed Snakes
Species	tenuis	Sharp-tailed Snake
Original Description
Contia tenuis - (Baird and Girard, 1852) - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 6, p. 176 from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Contia - honors Le Conte, John L. tenuis - Latin - thin, narrow, slender - "body slender" from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
None
Related or Similar California Snakes
T. planiceps - Western Black-headed Snake Diadophis punctatus - Ring-necked Snake
More Information and References
Natureserve Explorer California Dept. of Fish and Game Stebbins, Robert C., and McGinnis, Samuel M. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Revised Edition (California Natural History Guides) University of California Press, 2012. Stebbins, Robert C. California Amphibians and Reptiles. The University of California Press, 1972. Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Behler, John L., and F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Powell, Robert., Joseph T. Collins, and Errol D. Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. The University Press of Kansas, 1998. Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Snakes of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Bartlett, R.D. , & Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America - Western Region. Gulf Publishing Co., 2000. Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997. Ernst, Carl H., Evelyn M. Ernst, & Robert M. Corker. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003. Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. Brown et. al. Reptiles of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society,1995. Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie Jr., and R. M. Storm. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho, 1983. St. John, Alan D. Reptiles of the Northwest: Alaska to California; Rockies to the Coast. Lone Pine Publishing, 2002.

Conservation Status
The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This snake is not included on the Special Animals List, which indicates that there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California.
Organization	Status Listing
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)	None
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)	None
California Department of Fish and Wildlife	None
Bureau of Land Management	None
USDA Forest Service	None
Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List

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