It has been suggested that this species includes a subspecies, Arizona elegans occidentalis.
Glossy snakes use pheromones and scent marking during mating. A female leaves a trail of pheromones marking the ground, allowing potential mates to find her. Males perceive this scent through their vomeronasal organ. Males initiate copulation by moving over females. Both males and females flick their tongues out to grab air, bringing chemical odors into the mouth, pressing the air against the roof of their mouths and under their noses where the vomeronasal organ is located. Glossy snakes are burrowing animals, remaining underground during the day, and have relatively small eyes. These eyes are mainly used to perceive a difference between light and dark and are not the primary sensory channel used for detecting prey.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones ; scent marks
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; vibrations ; chemical
Though currently not considered threatened, some populations of glossy snakes have been progressively reduced due to agricultural development and urbanization. No conservation plans have been developed to maintain populations due to this species' stable distribution, number of sub-populations, and population sizes. However, some populations are protected as they live national and state parks.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
Spermatogenesis is seasonal and occurs in late summer, with temperature as the main trigger even in the absence of photoperiods. Vitellogenesis (yolk deposition) begins in the spring and ovulation can occur in June. Embryos develop within eggs laid underground by females. In general, snakes that hatch from eggs have an egg tooth on their upper lip which they use to chew their way out of the eggshell. Sex is determined by the ZW system, in which sex is determined by the egg rather than the sperm (as in the XY system); females are ZW while males are ZZ. Juveniles are precocious and independent; they do not undergo metamorphosis. Snakes grow throughout their lifetimes although rate slows drastically once maturity is achieved, typically in 1-9 years.
Development - Life Cycle: indeterminate growth
There are no known adverse effects of these snakes on humans.
Glossy snakes eat rodents and lizards, therefore controlling potential pest populations.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Glossy snakes control the populations of many small rodents, reptiles and mammals. As burrowing animals, they also serve to aerate the soil. They are known hosts of a number of endoparasitic flatworms and nematodes.
Ecosystem Impact: soil aeration
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Glossy snakes are carnivorous. About half of their diet is composed of other reptiles, including zebra-tailed lizards (Callisaurus draconoides), western whiptails (Cnemidophorus tigris), desert iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), spotted leaf-nosed snakes (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus), coast horned lizards (Phrynosoma coronatum), greater short-horned lizards (Phrynosoma hernandesi), desert spiny lizards (Sceloporus magister), common side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana), and desert night lizards (Xantusia vigilis). The remainder of their diet is comprised of small mammals such as long-tailed pocket mice (Chaetodipus formosus), Merriam's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys merriami), Ord's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii), eastern moles (Scalopus aquaticus), Salinas pocket mice (Perognathus inornatus), and small birds. Alternative hunting techniques may exist for capturing different prey types. Percentages of prey types within diet are directly correlated to the size and mass of a given snake: Glossy snakes that consume more birds are larger than those that consume more mammals, which are larger than those that mainly consume small lizards.
Animal Foods: birds; mammals; reptiles
Primary Diet: carnivore (Eats terrestrial vertebrates)
Glossy snakes are found in the United States and Mexico. In the U.S., their range encompasses central and southern California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, southwestern and eastern Colorado, southern Nebraska, all of Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. In Mexico, they are found along the Baja Penninsula to just north of La Paz, as well as extending south in the main part of the country to Aguascalientes and Tamaulipas.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
Glossy snakes occupy semi-arid grasslands, barren, sandy deserts and scrub, and rocky washes, preferring open areas and sandy or loamy soil. They can be found from below sea level to approximately 2,220 meters above sea level; most are found slightly above sea level.
Range elevation: 0 to 2,200 m.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; savanna or grassland ; chaparral ; forest ; scrub forest
No information exists regarding the lifespan of glossy snakes; generally speaking, snakes live from 4-25 years in the wild.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 4 to 25 years.
Glossy snakes are medium-sized (75-130 cm total length on average, with records of individuals up to 178 cm), non-venomous constrictor snakes. Their common name reflects their smooth, shiny scales, which distinguish them from related species. Body color is typically light beige or gray, while the scales have dark edges surrounding either gold, brown, or olive-gray scale patterns. Juveniles are similar to adults, but often have darker markings, which lighten over time. Glossy snakes also have a countersunk lower jaw, specialized for stopping sand from entering the mouth while burrowing. Other distinguishing features include a prominent eye stripe, lidless eyes with slightly vertical pupils, and a single anal scale.
Range length: 75 to 178 cm.
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Glossy snakes are nocturnal and hide in burrows during the day, making them less susceptible to many predators. Their smooth scales serve as camouflage. Known predators include owls, mammals, and other snakes.
Known Predators:
Anti-predator Adaptations: cryptic
No specific information exists regarding the mating system of glossy snakes. Generally, when a female snake is ready to have her eggs fertilized, she excretes hormones that can be detected by males through their vomeronasal organs. Males follow this scent and court the female by crawling over her. If she accepts, she raises her tail, allowing internal fertilization through the cloaca. Males and females have multiple mates.
Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)
Glossy snakes are oviparous and breed in the spring and summer after awakening from hibernation. In early July, females typically lay clutches of eggs (anywhere from 2-23, though most often under 12, with an average of 8) that hatch from late August to mid-September. The hatchlings are approximately 25 cm long at birth. Females produce only one clutch of eggs per year and there is evidence that a female will lay eggs only every other year.
Breeding interval: Glossy snakes breed once yearly.
Breeding season: Glossy snakes breed in the spring and summer.
Range number of offspring: 3 to 23.
Average number of offspring: 8.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; sexual ; fertilization ; oviparous
Female glossy snakes have been observed protecting their offspring for a few days after birth. There is no parental investment from males.
Parental Investment: female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Protecting: Female)
Arizona elegans is a species of medium-sized colubrid snake commonly referred to as the glossy snake or the faded snake,[3] which is endemic to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It has several subspecies. Some have recommended that A. elegans occidentalis be granted full species status.
Subspecies of Arizona elegans include:
The glossy snake and its many subspecies are all similar in appearance to gopher snakes. However, they are smaller than gopher snakes, with narrow, pointed heads, and a variety of skin patterns and colors. They appear "washed-out" or pale, hence the common name, "faded snakes".[5]
Most subspecies are ca. 75–130 cm (ca. 30-50 inches) in total length. The maximum recorded total length for the species is 142 cm (56 in).[6]
They are shades of tan, brown, and gray with spotted patterns on their smooth, glossy skin, and a white or cream-colored unmarked ventral surface. Coloration often varies in relation to the color of the soil in a snake's native habitat.
Habitat is normally semi-arid grasslands of the southwestern United States, from California in the west to Kansas in the east and as far south as Texas, and northern Mexico.
They are nonvenomous, nocturnal predators of small lizards.
Glossy snakes are oviparous. Adults breed in the late spring and early summer. Clutches average from 10 to 20 eggs. The eggs hatch in early summers and the newly hatched young are approximately 25 cm (9.8 in) in total length.
Arizona elegans is a species of medium-sized colubrid snake commonly referred to as the glossy snake or the faded snake, which is endemic to the southwestern United States and Mexico. It has several subspecies. Some have recommended that A. elegans occidentalis be granted full species status.
