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Arizona elegans

Kennicott, 1859

Common Glossy Snake

G5Secure Found in 30 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104460
Element CodeARADB01010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyColubridae
GenusArizona
Other Common Names
glossy snake (EN) Glossy Snake (EN)
Concept Reference
Crother, B. I., J. Boundy, J. A. Campbell, K. de Queiroz, D. R. Frost, R. Highton, J. B. Iverson, P. A. Meylan, T. W. Reeder, M. E. Seidel, J. W. Sites, Jr., T. W. Taggart, S. G. Tilley, and D. B. Wake. 2000 [2001]. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular No. 29. 82 pp.
Taxonomic Comments
Subspecies occidentalis was proposed as a distinct species by Collins (1991), but no supporting data were presented. Crother et al. (2000 and subsequent versions) and Stebbins (2003) did not adopt this proposed change. Using genetic data, Myers et al. (2017), Myers et al. (2019), and Dahn et al. (2018) confirmed that the eastern and western populations were distinct as predicted by Collins (1991), however, they did not recommend any taxonomic changes (Nicholson 2025).
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-09-01
Change Date1996-10-29
Edition Date2005-09-01
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from central California, southern Nevada, southern Utah, southwestern and eastern Colorado, and southern Nebraska south through southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas to southern Baja California, Sinaloa, and San Luis Potosi, at elevation from below sea level in desert sinks to around 2,200 meters (7,220 feet) (Stebbins 2003).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by hundreds of occurrences or subpopulations (e.g., see maps in Dixon and Fleet 1976, Degenhardt et al. 1996, Hammerson 1999, Werler and Dixon 2000).
Threat Impact Comments
Intensive agricultural development and urbanization probably have eliminated or reduced some populations, but in most areas this species does not appear to be very threatened at the present time.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

The varied habitats include barren to sparse shrubby desert, sagebrush flats, grassland, sandhills, coastal scrub, chaparral slopes, and sometimes oak-hickory woodland, generally in open areas with sandy or loamy soil, though rocks may be present (Degenhardt et al. 1996, Hammerson 1999, Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003). This snake takes shelter and lays its eggs underground.

Reproduction

Lays clutch of 2-23 (usually 12 or fewer, average around 8) eggs in summer (apparently in June in California and New Mexico) (Fitch 1970, Goldberg 2000). Eggs hatch in late summer or early fall. Not all adult females are reproductive every year; perhaps female reproduction is biennial at most.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodShrubland/chaparralSavannaGrassland/herbaceousDesert
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
NevadaS4Yes
TexasS5Yes
KansasS4Yes
New MexicoS5Yes
ArizonaS5Yes
Navajo NationS4Yes
ColoradoS4Yes
NebraskaS1Yes
OklahomaS3Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
UtahS3Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial development——Insignificant/negligible or past
1.1 - Housing & urban areas——Insignificant/negligible or past
1.2 - Commercial & industrial areas——Insignificant/negligible or past
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture——Insignificant/negligible or past
2.1 - Annual & perennial non-timber crops——Insignificant/negligible or past

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Roadless Areas (30)
Arizona (8)
AreaForestAcres
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
Burro CanyonKaibab National Forest19,928
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
GoldfieldTonto National Forest15,257
Middle Romero WSRCoronado National Forest60
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
California (16)
AreaForestAcres
Barker ValleyCleveland National Forest11,940
Black MountainLos Padres National Forest16,818
Cahuilla MountainSan Bernardino National Forest6,952
CalienteCleveland National Forest5,953
City CreekSan Bernardino National Forest9,997
Crystal CreekSan Bernardino National Forest6,783
Cucamonga AAngeles National Forest1,249
Cucamonga CSan Bernardino National Forest4,106
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Fox MountainLos Padres National Forest52,072
Mill PeakSan Bernardino National Forest7,884
San SevaineSan Bernardino National Forest6,866
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
TuleAngeles National Forest9,861
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
Nevada (1)
AreaForestAcres
Lovell Summit SouthHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest28,455
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Goat SpringCibola National Forest5,755
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
Scott MesaCibola National Forest39,515
Utah (2)
AreaForestAcres
CottonwoodDixie National Forest6,754
Pine Valley MountainsDixie National Forest57,673
References (25)
  1. Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999a. A field guide to Texas reptiles & amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xviii + 331 pp.
  2. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  3. Collins, J. T. 1982. Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. Second edition. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., Pub. Ed. Ser. 8. xiii + 356 pp.
  4. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  5. Collins, J. T. 1991. Viewpoint: a new taxonomic arrangement for some North American amphibians and reptiles. SSAR Herpetol. Review 22:42-43.
  6. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  7. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  8. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  9. Crother, B. I., J. Boundy, J. A. Campbell, K. de Queiroz, D. R. Frost, R. Highton, J. B. Iverson, P. A. Meylan, T. W. Reeder, M. E. Seidel, J. W. Sites, Jr., T. W. Taggart, S. G. Tilley, and D. B. Wake. 2000 [2001]. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular No. 29. 82 pp.
  10. Crother, B. I., J. Boundy, J. A. Campbell, K. de Quieroz, D. Frost, D. M. Green, R. Highton, J. B. Iverson, R. W. McDiarmid, P. A. Meylan, T. W. Reeder, M. E. Seidel, J. W. Sites, Jr., S. G. Tilley, and D. B. Wake. 2003. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico: update. Herpetological Review 34:198-203.
  11. Dahn, H. A., J. L. Strickland, A. Osorio, T. J. Colston, and C. L. Parkinson. 20185. Hidden diversity within the depauperate genera of the snake tribe Lampropeltini (Serpentes, Colubridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 129:214-225.
  12. Degenhardt, W. G., C. W. Painter, and A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. xix + 431 pp.
  13. Dixon, J. R., and R. R. Fleet. 1976. Arizona, A. elegans. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 179.1-179.4.
  14. Dowling, H. G. 1993. Viewpoint: a reply to Collins (1991, 1992). Herpetol. Rev. 24:11-13.
  15. Fitch, H. S. 1970. Reproductive cycles of lizards and snakes. Univ. Kansas Museum Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 52:1-247.
  16. Goldberg, S. R. 2000. Reproduction in the glossy snake, Arizona elegans (Serpentes: Colubridae) from California. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Science 99:105-109.
  17. Grismer, L. L. 2002. Amphibians and reptiles of Baja California including its Pacific islands and islands in the Sea of Cortes. University of California Press, Berkeley. xiii + 399 pp.
  18. Hammerson, G. A. 1999. Amphibians and reptiles in Colorado. Second edition. University Press of Colorado, Boulder. xxvi + 484 pp.
  19. Myers, E. A., A. T. Xue, M. Gehara, C. Cox, A. R. Davis Rabosky, J. Lemos-Espinal, J. E. Martínez-Gómez, and F. T. Burbrink. 2019. Environmental heterogeneity and not vicariant biogeographic barriers generate community-wide population structure in desert-adapted snakes. Molecular Ecology 28(20):4535-4548.
  20. Myers, E. A., M. J. Hickerson, and F. T. Burbrink. 2017. Asynchronous diversification of snakes in the North American warm deserts. Journal of Biogeography 44(2):461-474.
  21. Nicholson, K. E. (ed.). 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87 pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
  22. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  23. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  24. Tennant, A. 1984. The Snakes of Texas. Texas Monthly Press, Austin, Texas. 561 pp.
  25. Werler, J. E., and J. R. Dixon. 2000. Texas snakes: identification, distribution, and natural history. University of Texas Press, Austin. xv + 437 pp.