Forest sharp-tailed snake
Species of snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The forest sharp-tailed snake (Contia longicaudae) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the western coast of the United States.[4]
| Forest sharp-tailed snake | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Contia |
| Species: | C. longicaudae |
| Binomial name | |
| Contia longicaudae | |
| Synonyms[4] | |
Geographic range
C. longicaudae is found in northern California and southern Oregon.[4]
Distribution and habitat
The forest sharp-tailed snake is not as widespread as its relative Contia tenuis (the sharp-tailed snake). The forest sharp-tailed snake is found in shaded wet forests along the western coast of the United States. The forest sharp-tailed snake went unnoticed for a long time due to its vast similarities to C. tenuis, the secretive nature of both species of sharp-tailed snakes, and their seasonally limited amount of activity.[3]
Identification
The easiest way to set the two species apart is by looking at the tail length and the subcaudal scales. The forest sharp-tailed snake has a longer tail than Contia tenuis and more subcaudal scales. Specifically, the forest sharp-tailed snake has 43 to 58 subcaudal scales, whereas Contia tenuis has 24 to 42.[4]
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