A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Common Sharp-tailed Snake - Contia tenuis

(Baird and Girard, 1852)

Click on a picture for a larger view

Description • Taxonomy • Species Description • Scientific Name • Alt. Names • Similar Herps • References • Conservation Status

Red: Range of this species in California
Contia tenuis - Common Sharp-tailed Snake

Orange: Range of Contia longicauda -
Forest Sharp-tailed Snake

Dark Blue: Area that might contain both species

Click on the map for a topographical view

Map with California County Names

Northwest Page

Adult, Butte County

Adult, coiled into a defensive position that hides its head, Contra Costa County

Adult, Yuba County

Adult, Placer County

Adult, Contra Costa County

Adult, Placer County

Adult, Contra Costa County

The underside is pale with black markings on the edge of each scale.

Underside of adult, Santa Clara County

Adult, Lake County

Adult, Monterey County
© Patrick Briggs

Adult, San Mateo County
© Rory Doolin

Adult, Alameda County
© David Kositchek

Adult, Lake County. © Nancy Mittasch

Adult, Carmel Valley, Monterey County
© Huck Triggs

Adult, Sierra Nevada Mountains,
Fresno County © Mike Pecora

Adult, Sierra Nevada Mountains,
Fresno County © Patrick Briggs

Adult in habitat, Alameda County
© Jared Heald

Adult, San Luis Obispo County
© Margi Bauer

Adult, Sonoma County © Jared Heald

Adult, Shasta County © Randy Rice

Adult with pale markings,
Sonoma County © Ric DelMar

Typical and pinkish-orange morphs
© Rodney Lacey, who finds both morphs together in Butte County.

Often several Sharp-tailed Snakes are found underneath the same cover object, in this case a large board in San Mateo County. © Rory Doolin

Four snakes (coiled up in defensive positions) found together after a December rainstorm in Alameda County
© Jared Heald

Adult San Luis Obispo County © Ryan Sikola

Adult, Lake County

Top of adult head close-up, San Luis Obispo County Ryan Sikola

Adult, Alameda County © Faris K

A sharp point at the tip of the tail gives this snake its name.

Adult, Lake County

Adult, Kittitas County, Washington

Adult, San Luis Obispo County
© Margi Bauer

Tiny juvenile, Madera County
© Ryan Sikola

Juveniles

Juvenile, Butte County

Two juveniles found under a rock in Contra Costa County

Juvenile, Contra Costa County

Juvenile, Sacramento County © Dona Walker

Juvenile, about 4 inches in length, Monterey County © Katie Zarn.

Juvenile, Fresno County
© Patrick Briggs

Juvenile, Stanislaus County
© Noah Morales

Tiny juvenile, Shasta County

Juvenile, from near San Rafael, Marin County © Deborah LaFleur

Juvenile, Alameda County
© Amie Rashé Conrad
Common Sharp-tailed snakes are often found in suburban northern California yards and gardens while raking or turning over surface objects, especially on sunny days after rain in the Winter and Spring.

Tiny juvenile, Madera County © Ryan Sikola

Hatchling, 2100' elevation
Tuolumne County © Adam Gitmed

Aberrant Common Sharp-tailed Snakes

Unusually-colored juvenile from Butte County, probably hypomelanistic or amelanistic. © Jackson Shedd

These two hypomelanistic juveniles with red eyes were found while raking leaves in Butte County © Mike Thiede & Jon Thiede

Habitat

Riparian mixed woodland/grassland habitat, Contra Costa County

Mixed woodland/grassland habitat beside reservoir, Contra Costa County

Habitat, Butte County

Habitat, rocky grassy hillside,
Contra Costa County

Habitat, next to small creek, Lake County

Riparian mixed woodland/grassland habitat, Contra Costa County

Habitat, Placer County

Comparisons of the Two Species of Sharp-tailed Snakes (Contia)

Below:
C. longicauda from Santa Cruz County
C. tenuis from Santa Clara County.

C. tenuis on right

C. longicauda on left
(In shed with duller than usual coloring)

C. tenuis on the left

C. longicauda on the right

C. longicauda has a longer tail
with more subcaudal scales that
lack black crossbars

C. tenuis on bottom

C. longicauda on top

C. tenuis has wider dark crossbars on the ventral scales

Identifying the Species

Subcaudal scale count and tail length

The easiest way to differentiate the two species in the field is to look at the subcaudal scales and the tail length.
(Subcaudal scales are the scales on the tail behind the cloaca.)

C. longicauda has a longer tail with more subcaudal scales than C. tenuis.
C. longicauda has from 43 to 58 subcaudal scales.

C. tenuis has from 42 to 43 subcaudal scales.

The tail of C. longicauda averages 20 percent of the total length of the snake.
The tail of C. tenuis averages 14.5 percent of the total length.

Width of the dark crossbars on the ventral scales

C. longicauda has narrow black crossbars marking the anterior portion of the ventral scales, covering only
1/3 to 1/4 of each ventral scale. The black crossbars are usually absent from the subcaudal scales.

C. tenuis has wider black crossbars on the anterior part of the ventral scales, covering
1/2 to 1/3 of each ventral scale.The black crossbars usually extend onto the subcaudal scales.

C. longicaudae is also larger overall and there are subtle differences in dorsal and ventral coloration and pigmentation, but these probably won't help in identification.

Check the range map - there is little range overlap.

(From Feldman and Hoyer, 2010)

Short Video

Sharp-tailed snakes found under trash in April in Placer County.

Common Sharp-tailed Snakes are found under objects in Washington State, and two of the flips also turn up Northwestern Gartersnakes with the sharp-tails.

Description

Not Dangerous - This snake does not have venom that can cause death or serious illness or injury in most humans.

Commonly described as "harmless" or "not poisonous" to indicate that its bite is not dangerous, but "not venomous" is more accurate. (A poisonous snake can hurt you if you eat it. A venomous snake can hurt you if it bites you.)

Size

Adults average 8 - 12 inches in total length (20.3 - 30.5 cm), with some nearly 18 inches long (45.7 cm).
Hatchlings are about 3 inches long (7.6 cm).

Appearance

A small thin snake with a small head and a sharp point on the end of the tail.

Color and Pattern

The head of an adult is typically medium to light olive-gray or brown with black flecking or blotches, occasionally with orange blotches.
Dorsal coloration is rusty, brick-red, or orange-red.
Most adults have either faint or distinctly-colored brick-red or orange-red dorsolateral stripes extending from the head along the front third of the body where they blend into the body color.
Occasionally the reddish coloration and dorsolateral stripes are not present.
Irregular black bands mark the ventral side.
The underside is pale with a black mark across the edge of each scale. The black marks becoming faint or absent towards the tail, and absent from the anal plate and the caudal scales.

Young

Juveniles typically have brighter dorsal coloration than adults.

Life History and Behavior

Activity

Sharp-tailed snakes tend to be found most often on sunny days during the rainy season resting under objects in open areas such as boards, rocks, wood debris, gravel piles, or leaf litter.

Secretive, spends much time under surface objects or underground.
A good burrower.
Prefers moist environments.
Active when the ground is damp, occasionally during or after rains, and sometimes when surface temperatures are as low as 50 degrees.
Long teeth allow the snake to hold on to its slippery prey.

Diet and Feeding

Feeds on slugs and their eggs and on slender salamanders.

Reproduction

Females are oviparous, laying eggs in June or July.
Hatchlings emerge in mid-autumn.

Habitat

Found in well-shaded moist forest habitats dominated by Douglas fir and redwoods. Also found in mixed woodlands with oaks and conifers.

This snake is also seen in human habitats including garages, yards and gardens, where it is usually found under surface objects or leaf litter, often when someone is gardening. They have also been found in water after falling in a pool and a hot tub. The small size of this snake also allows it to enter human houses where it probably has trouble finding its way back out. (I regularly receive pictures of them from people wondering what kind of snake they found in their house, and why.)

Geographical Range

The Common Sharp-tailed Snake ranges from British Columbia and Vancouver Island south to near San Luis Obispo on the coast, and inland along the foothills of the Sierras south to Tulare County.

My range map shows a large gap in the range in Fresno county which is based on the records used in Feldman and Hoyer, 2010. Their research also showed some genetic differences between the southern population and snakes to the north in the Sierra Nevada.

Comparison of range and habitat with the Forest Sharp-tailed Snake - Contia longicauda

There does not appear to be much overlap in range between C. tenuis and C. longicauda, and they have not yet been found at the same location, but the two species come into close proximity in California in San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties, in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties, and in Southwestern Oregon. (I have indicated in purple on the range map one area in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties where their distribution may overlap. There could also be other areas of overlap in California, including San Mateo county and the border of Humboldt and Trinity counties.) They appear to be segregated by habitat type in these areas. C. longicauda typically occurs in moist well-forested areas, while C. tenuis occurs in somewhat drier, more open habitats of grassland, mixed woodland, and occasionally chaparral.

Notes on Taxonomy

The long-recognized Sharp-tailed Snake, Contia tenuis, was found to consist of two species which are almost identical in appearance - Contia tenuis, and a new species, Contia longicauda, which went unnoticed for a long time because of its similarities to Contia tenuis and because of its small size, fossorial and secretive nature, and seasonally-limited period of activity. C. longicauda was discovered by Richard Hoyer based on differences in size, scale counts, and habitat preference. DNA evidence was presented by Feldman and Spicer in 2002. (Journal of Herpetology 36(4): 648-655). A formal description of the new species was published in 2010:

Chris R. Feldman, Richard F. Hoyer A New Species of Snake in the Genus Contia (Squamata: Colubridae) from California and Oregon. Copeia May 2010, Vol. 2010, No. 2 : pp. 254-267.

Diversity in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains

Another unique lineage of Contia appears to exist in Tulare County in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains: Contia in that area show some morphological differrences from the average C. tenuis; they are geographically isolated; and they have been found in groves of sequoias, at elevations and habitat not typical for C. tenuis. More specimens need to be examined in order to fully understand the evolutional divergence of these snakes from C. tenuis.

Feldman and Hoyer also found some variation within Contia tenuis:
"Our data also reveal additional structure within C. tenuis; populations from the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains form an incipient lineage that warrants further investigation."

Alternate and Previous Names (Synonyms)

Contia tenuis - Common Sharp-tailed Snake (Stebbins & McGinnis 2012)
Contia tenuis - Sharp-tailed Snake (Stebbins 1954, 1966, 1985, 2003)
Gentle Brown Snake; Oregon Worm Snake; Pacific Brown Snake; Pacific Ground Snake (Wright & Wright 1957)
Contia mitis - Sharp-tailed Snake (Ablabes purpureocauda; Homalosoma mite. Purple-tailed Snake; Pacific Ground Snake; Brown Snake; Gentle Brown Snake) (Grinnell and Camp 1917)
Contia tenuis - Sharp-tailed Snake (Van Denburgh 1897)
Purple-tailed Snake (Yarrow 1882)

Habitat

Found in woodland, forests, grassland, chaparral, often near streams or water. Requires moist soil. Often encountered underneath surface objects in open grassy areas near forests, especially on sunny days after rain. Can also be found in piles of gravel. From sea level to 6,600 ft.

Conservation Issues (Conservation Status)

None

Taxonomy
Family	Colubridae	Colubrids	Oppel, 1811
Genus	Contia	Sharp-tailed Snakes	Baird and Girard, 1853
Species	tenuis	Common Sharp-tailed Snake	(Baird and Girard, 1852)
Original Description
Contia tenuis - (Baird and Girard, 1852) - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 6, p. 176 from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
Meaning of the Scientific Name
Contia - honors Le Conte, John L. tenuis - Latin - thin, narrow, slender - "body slender" from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
None
Related or Similar California Snakes
T. planiceps - Western Black-headed Snake Diadophis punctatus - Ring-necked Snake Contia longicauda - Forest Sharp-tailed Snake
More Information and References
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Stebbins, Robert C., and McGinnis, Samuel M. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Revised Edition (California Natural History Guides) University of California Press, 2012. Stebbins, Robert C. California Amphibians and Reptiles. The University of California Press, 1972. Flaxington, William C. Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Field Observations, Distribution, and Natural History. Fieldnotes Press, Anaheim, California, 2021. Samuel M. McGinnis and Robert C. Stebbins. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles & Amphibians. 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2018. Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003. Behler, John L., and F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Powell, Robert., Joseph T. Collins, and Errol D. Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. The University Press of Kansas, 1998. Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Snakes of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009. Bartlett, R. D. & Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America - Western Region. Gulf Publishing Co., 2000. Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997. Ernst, Carl H., Evelyn M. Ernst, & Robert M. Corker. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003. Taylor, Emily. California Snakes and How to Find Them. Heyday, Berkeley, California. 2024. Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press, 1957. Brown et. al. Reptiles of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society,1995. Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie Jr., and R. M. Storm. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Moscow, Idaho: University Press of Idaho, 1983. St. John, Alan D. Reptiles of the Northwest: Alaska to California; Rockies to the Coast. 2nd Edition - Revised & Updated. Lone Pine Publishing, 2021. Chris R. Feldman, Richard F. Hoyer A New Species of Snake in the Genus Contia (Squamata: Colubridae) from California and Oregon. Copeia May 2010, Vol. 2010, No. 2 : pp. 254-267. Joseph Grinnell and Charles Lewis Camp. A Distributional List of the Amphibians and Reptiles of California. University of California Publications in Zoology Vol. 17, No. 10, pp. 127-208. July 11, 1917.

Conservation Status
The following conservation status listings for this animal are taken from the April 2024 State of California Special Animals List and the April 2024 Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Animals of California list (unless indicated otherwise below.) Both lists are produced by multiple agencies every year, and sometimes more than once per year, so the conservation status listing information found below might not be from the most recent lists. To make sure you are seeing the most recent listings, go to this California Department of Fish and Wildlife web page where you can search for and download both lists: https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Plants-and-Animals. A detailed explanation of the meaning of the status listing symbols can be found at the beginning of the two lists. For quick reference, I have included them on my Special Status Information page. If no status is listed here, the animal is not included on either list. This most likely indicates that there are no serious conservation concerns for the animal. To find out more about an animal's status you can also go to the NatureServe and IUCN websites to check their rankings. Check the current California Department of Fish and Wildlife sport fishing regulations to find out if this animal can be legally pursued and handled or collected with possession of a current fishing license. You can also look at the summary of the sport fishing regulations as they apply only to reptiles and amphibians that has been made for this website. This snake is not included on the Special Animals List, which indicates that there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California.
Organization	Status Listing	Notes
NatureServe Global Ranking
NatureServe State Ranking
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)	None
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)	None
California Department of Fish and Wildlife	None
Bureau of Land Management	None
USDA Forest Service	None
IUCN

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