72: Glossy Snake

I write to you from Arapahoe, Ute, and Cheyenne land. I am interested in learning about the different animals that live in the place where I was born. Before we start with today’s animal, I want to emphasize that biological classification as understood by western society has its roots in racism, sexism, and transphobia – here’s a good explainer about why.

The Glossy Snake sounds even fancier in its Latin name – Arizona elegans – and its Spanish name – Culebra brillante. I mean, they are very pretty:

These pretty snakes live in the southwestern USA and northern Mexico, particularly enjoying sandy environments. They kill their prey by constricting. Like 66% of all snake species, the females are larger than the males – and they can grow to be nearly 6 feet (2m) long! In Colorado, they spend time in the arid grasslands of the southeastern and extreme eastern parts of the state.

They like to burrow into the ground (meaning they are fossorial, a word I had to look up), using their jaw to excavate earth, or utilizing rodent burrows like that of the Black-tailed Prairie Dog (#59 in this series). They are primarily nocturnal, eating lots of vertebrates like rodents, lizards, smaller snakes, and small birds. If threatened, they vibrate their tail in a manner similar to that of a rattlesnake. However, Glossy Snakes are active hunters, unlike rattlesnakes, who wait and ambush their prey.