This snake’s smooth, shiny scales distinguish it from the similar looking Gopher Snake, which has keeled dorsal scales. They are also smaller than gopher snakes, with narrow, pointed heads, and a variety of patterns and colors. Here’s one that I found in Arizona.
It is usually found in relatively flat, open, shrubby areas with sandy soil. This nocturnal ground-dweller is good burrower that spends the majority of its time underground. The Glossy Snake is a constrictor that feeds on small mammals, lizards, snakes, and birds.
It is a mild mannered snake that rarely attempts to bite. I haven’t seen one of these snakes in a few years, so I was stoked to come across one again in the wild.
