The smooth, delicate, and small flat-headed or flathead snake with a few defenses disrupts the notion of snakes being dangerous, powerful, and fearsome. The specific name, gracilis, means slender and graceful. The fossorial snake is usually active from April through October.
Scientific Classifications
- Suborder:Serpentes
- Family:Colubridae
- Genus:Tantilla
- Species:T. gracilis
Conservation Status
Description
Size
The adults grow to a length of 7-8 in (18-20 cm).
Color and Appearance
The body color is generally gray-brown, tan, or slightly reddish brown. The flat head is sometimes darker than the body or black. The belly is salmon pink.
Its smooth dorsal scales are arranged in rows of 15 at the midbody. There are six supralabials, minute eyes, and a divided anal plate in its body.
Are They Dangerous to Humans
When captured, the secretive, harmless snake is not known to bite. It only tries to shove its head into the folds of the captor’s hand in an attempt to escape.
Flat-Headed Snakes at a Glance
Distribution
Its range extends from the lower Rio Grande Valley northwards to Missouri and Kansas in the US.
Habitat
It prefers rocky, south-facing, wooded hillsides, especially those having sandy soils with limestone rocks. But it can be commonly found in piles of rocks and leaves in gardens, urban areas, and various habitats with high moisture content.
The colubrid spends most of its time in underground burrows and slightly moist soil under rocks.
Lifespan
The flat-headed snake lives for around 5 years.
Predators
It is preyed upon by birds, lizards, small mammals, and other snakes.
Diet
It eats a variety of insects, their larvae, and centipedes.
Reproduction
Oviparous (lays eggs that hatch outside the body)
Courtship and mating take place in late April and May. June sees the females laying clutches of 1-4 eggs each in moist soil under rocks. They hatch in August and September. The hatchlings are around 3 inches long.
Source
phenology.mwparc.org, illinois.gov, flickr.com, inaturalist.ca, discoverlife.org
