Species profile
Common Sharp-Tailed Snake
Contia tenuis
Identify Common Sharp-Tailed Snake (Contia tenuis) from a photo — free, unlimited, no sign-up — with the CatchRules iPhone app. Plus current fishing rules across 1 jurisdiction.
At a glance
Common Sharp-Tailed Snake (Contia tenuis) is an IUCN Least Concern reptile with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 3,928 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with California, Oregon, and British Columbia the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Like its close relative, it specializes almost entirely in eating slugs and their eggs.
- Adults are small, typically 8 to 16 inches long, with a reddish-brown or gray dorsum.
- Its range extends along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia south through California.
- The sharp spine at the tail tip is thought to help pin slippery slug prey during swallowing.
- It is active mainly in spring and fall, retreating underground during summer heat and winter cold.
Where Common Sharp-Tailed Snake are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Common Sharp-Tailed Snake
Background
The sharp-tailed snake or sharptail snake (Contia tenuis) is a small colubrid snake that lives in the Western United States and some parts of British Columbia.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Common Sharp-Tailed Snake article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other reptiles on CatchRules
Frequently asked questions
What is Common Sharp-Tailed Snake?
Common Sharp-Tailed Snake (Contia tenuis) is an IUCN Least Concern reptile with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
What is the scientific name for Common Sharp-Tailed Snake?
Common Sharp-Tailed Snake is Contia tenuis.
Is Common Sharp-Tailed Snake regulated for fishing?
Yes — Common Sharp-Tailed Snake has fishing regulations in 1 U.S. state and/or Canadian province tracked by CatchRules. See the "Jurisdictions with rules" section above for the binding-source links.
How can I identify Common Sharp-Tailed Snake?
Take a photo with the free CatchRules iPhone app — on-device identification recognizes Common Sharp-Tailed Snake along with ~1,500 other species. No sign-up, unlimited use.
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.