Family: Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes view all from this family

Description 8-19" (20.3-48.3 cm). Tiny glossy snake; grayish, brownish, or reddish with great variation in back pattern. Some essentially patternless; others with a wide red, orange, or beige back stripe; others with crossbanding ranging from a single neck band to evenly spaced, saddle-shaped blotches to bands with red interspaces encircling body. Small dark blotch on back scales. Scales smooth and shiny, in 13-15 rows. Anal plate divided.

Breeding Mates spring and fall. Up to 6 eggs deposited early June to late August depending on locality. Young 4-5" (10-13 cm) long hatch in 7-10 weeks.

Habitat Dry open areas with loose sandy soil; rocky wooded or prairie hillsides, mesquite thickets along river beds, sand hummocks, vacant lots, brushy desert; sea level to 6,000' (1,800 m).

Range Sw. Idaho, se. Oregon south through Nevada, se. California, and Arizona into Baja California and n. Mexico, east to e. Texas, and north through Oklahoma, se. Colorado, s. Kansas, and sw. Missouri.

Discussion Until recently this secretive burrower was considered to be two species: Sonora episcopa with 2 subspecies and S. semiannulata with 5 subspecies. Plain-colored, striped, and crossbanded individuals may be found in the same area. It preys on scorpions, spiders, centipedes, insects.