Southwestern Blackhead Snake
Tantilla hobartsmithi
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyColubridae (Colubrid Snakes)
- GenusTantilla (Centipede Snakes)
- SpeciesTantilla hobartsmithi (Southwestern Blackhead Snake)
About the Southwestern Blackhead Snake
Tantilla hobartsmithi, commonly known as Smith's black-headed snake and the southwestern blackhead snake, is a species of small snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northern Mexico.
The specific name or epithet, hobartsmithi, is in honor of American zoologist and herpetologist Hobart M. Smith (1912–2013). Tantilla hobartsmithi was first described by Edward Harrison Taylor in 1936. The southwestern blackhead snake is a small snake, growing to a maximum total length (tail included) of 15 in (38 cm), but typically averaging around 8 in (20 cm) in total length.
Dorsally, it is uniformly brown in color, except for the black-colored head, which gives it its common name, and a cream-colored or white collar. On the belly, there is a broad reddish stripe, which runs down the center of the ventral scales.
Tantilla hobartsmithi is rear-fanged, having enlarged rear teeth and a modified saliva, which while harmless to mammals, is believed to be toxic to arthropods, its primary prey. Blackhead snakes (genus Tantilla... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Long-nosed Snake
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Coachwhip
Masticophis flagellum
Black-necked Gartersnake
Thamnophis cyrtopsis
Desert Kingsnake
Lampropeltis splendida
Desert Nightsnake
Hypsiglena chlorophaea
Sonoran Whipsnake
Masticophis bilineatus
California King Snake
Lampropeltis californiae
Banded Sand Snake
Sonora cincta
Western Patch-nosed Snake
Salvadora hexalepis
Checkered Garter Snake
Thamnophis marcianus
Sonoran Lyre Snake
Trimorphodon lambda
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Southwestern Blackhead Snake in Saguaro National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Southwestern Blackhead Snake sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 22 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Southwestern Blackhead Snake in Saguaro National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Southwestern Blackhead Snake in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.