Description: The flat-headed snake averages seven to eight inches in length. Its head is darker than the rest of its body. The back is brown, and the belly is salmon pink. The scales are smooth. Its head is flattened and slightly wider than the neck.

Habitat: The species' habitats include rocky prairie, wooded hillsides, rocky forest edges, pine-oak uplands, oak-juniper brakes, pine woods, moist deciduous woods, thorn woodland, and grass-brushland. This semi-fossorial snake often is found under rocks or logs after spring or summer rains. Eggs are laid in shallow underground hollows, under rocks, or in decaying vegetation.

Range: The snake is found in the US states of Missouri, Texas, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas and in Mexico.

Found in these States: AR | IL | KS | LA | MO | OK | TX

Diet: All species in this genus are considered rear-fanged snakes that produce enough of a weak venom to help them overpower their insect and arthropod prey.

Reproduction: All are oviparous

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and presumed large population size, and because the rate of decline probably is less than 10% over 10 years or three generations. However, better information is needed on the effect of non-native fire ants, which reportedly have caused significant declines in abundance in Texas

Taxonomy: