Description: This is a common, slender, 16” long, nocturnal inhabitant of rocky desert locales. As with many ground dwelling snakes, the grayish to brown body color tends to blend, at times almost imperceptibly with the earthen hues of their chosen habitat, this common snake can be very difficult to see either in habitat or on paved roads at night. There are many black outlined dark brown spots on back and sides. There are 3 elongate dark blotches on the neck, one on the nape and another on each side.

Habitat: This snake generally inhabits arid and semiarid plains, canyons, and hillsides, usually in rocky, dissected or hilly terrain with sandy or gravelly soils, including areas dominated by desert, grassland, shrubland, savanna, or woodland. Periods of inactivity are spent under rocks or other surface cover, in crevices, or underground.

Range: The range map of the Texas night snake stretches across dry, rocky habitats of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Found in these States: CO | NM | OK | TX

Diet: Primarily feeds on lizards.

Reproduction: Mates in spring and lays a clutch of 4 - 6 eggs that hatch during the summer months.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the wide distribution, large number of locations, presumed large population, lack of major threats, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

Taxonomy: