Meeker Office Closure
The Meeker office is closed until further notice due to the Lee Fire. Please view the news release for additional details and alternative office information.
Meeker Office Closure
The Meeker office is closed until further notice due to the Lee Fire. Please view the news release for additional details and alternative office information.
This non-venomous constrictor feeds mostly on small mammals, amphibians, and other reptiles.
Similar in appearance to gophersnakes, the glossy snake is smaller, with a more pointed head, and has a more faded coloration and smoother scales. They are non-venomous constrictors.
Upper side with smooth (unkeeled) scales and numerous blotches on pale background; belly whitish, unspotted; single anal scale; lower jaw inset into upper jaw; pupil of eye somewhat oval, not exactly circular; maximum total length about 142 cm (56 inches) but usually less than 117 cm (46 inches) in Colorado.
Plains of eastern Colorado, and Montezuma County in extreme southwestern Colorado.
Sandhills and plains grassland, including riparian zones and areas with soft alluvial soils, as well as canyon bottoms and plains with firm soils. Burrows underground or occupies rodent burrows or similar sites; rarely found under objects on the ground.
This snake is a constrictor that eats lizards, small rodents, and sometimes other small vertebrates.
Female lays eggs in early summer. Hatchlings appear in late summer.