Sharp-tailed Snake
Contia tenuis
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- C. tenuis – Placer CO, CA – photo by Gary Nafis
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- C. tenuis – Butte CO, CA – photo by Gary Nafis
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- C. tenuis – Placer CO, CA – photo by Gary Nafis
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- C. tenuis – Santa Cruz CO, CA – photo by Todd Battey
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- C. tenuis – Santa Cruz CO, CA – photo by Todd Battey
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- C. tenuis – Santa Cruz CO, CA – photo by Todd Battey
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- Map by Steve Bledsoe, SWCHR
DISTRIBUTION: In our region, Contia tenuis occurs in mountain ranges in central and northern California.
TAXONOMIC NOTE: The snake from Santa Cruz County, CA in the photos above is believed to be a specimen of the recently described new species, C. longicauda, the Forest Shart-tailed Snake (Feldman and Hoyer 2010).
LEGAL STATUS: No Listings
MEANING OF SCIENTIFIC NAME: Contia tenuis (Baird & Gerard – 1852)
Genus: Contia, honors John L. LeConte, MD
Species: tenuis, Latin = thin, narrow, slender
Ref. Ellen Beltz 2006