Forest sharp-tailed snake

The forest sharp-tailed snake (Contia longicaudae) is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to the western coast of the United States.^[4]

Forest sharp-tailed snake
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)[2]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Contia
Species:	C. longicaudae
Binomial name
Contia longicaudae Feldman & Hoyer, 2010[3]
Synonyms[4]
Contia longicaudae Feldman & Hoyer, 2010 Contia longicauda — Crother et al., 2012 Contia longicaudae — Wallach et al., 2014

Geographic range

C. longicaudae is found in northern California and southern Oregon.^[4]

Distribution and habitat

The forest sharp-tailed snake is not as widespread as its relative Contia tenuis (the sharp-tailed snake). The forest sharp-tailed snake is found in shaded wet forests along the western coast of the United States. The forest sharp-tailed snake went unnoticed for a long time due to its vast similarities to C. tenuis, the secretive nature of both species of sharp-tailed snakes, and their seasonally limited amount of activity.^[3]

Identification

The easiest way to set the two species apart is by looking at the tail length and the subcaudal scales. The forest sharp-tailed snake has a longer tail than Contia tenuis and more subcaudal scales. Specifically, the forest sharp-tailed snake has 43 to 58 subcaudal scales, whereas Contia tenuis has 24 to 42.^[4]