A sand-coloured nocturnal constrictor of the American Southwest, named for the polished sheen of its smooth scales.
Description
Glossy snakes are slim, medium-sized colubrids about a metre long with pale tan or cream backgrounds and a row of darker brown blotches outlined in black. The scales are smooth and so reflective they almost shimmer in flashlight beams, giving the species its common name.
Behavior
Strictly nocturnal, glossy snakes emerge from rodent burrows after dark to forage for lizards and small mammals. They are excellent burrowers in loose sand, and during the day they shelter beneath rocks, debris, and dense vegetation to avoid the heat.
Range
Widely distributed in the deserts and grasslands of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, from California east to Texas. Several subspecies show subtle differences in blotch size and ground colour across the range.