The small snake is unique in many ways. It does not seem to have a close relationship with any other snake species. It is secretive and little is known about its lifestyle and habits.
The tip of the tail has a sharp spine whose function no one seems to have figured out. It may be an anti-predator defense, or an aid in burrowing; perhaps it anchors the snake when it is digging or eating.
Adult Sharp-tailed Snakes are small – usually about a foot long. They specialize in eating slugs and have proportionally long teeth to catch and hold onto their slippery prey. They seem to prefer invasive European slugs over native varieties and may be expanding their range as new gardens and flower beds are made by people.
Due to its food preference, this snake is out and about when temperatures are so cool that most other snakes would are inactive. It sometimes can be seen crawling on the forest floor during rainstorms. They like to live in small clearings in forests. These reptiles can also be found under stones bordering gardens. They burrow into damp soil and rotting logs, retreating underground when the weather becomes dry.
I always enjoy coming across this unusual little serpent in the field. A Sharp-tailed Snake was the first California snake I ever found, underneath a piece of fallen Redwood Tree bark 10 years ago.