B.C. Reptiles & Amphibians

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Credit: Don Loarie

Common Sharp-tailed Snake

Contia tenuis

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Description

The Common Sharp-tailed Snake is the smallest snake species in British Columbia, reaching a maximum length of 20-45 cm and about the thickness of a pencil. After the Desert Nightsnake, the Common Sharp-tailed Snake is one of the least understood reptiles in British Columbia, thanks to its nocturnal behaviour and secretive nature. Its namesake comes from a sharply pointed, barb-like scale at the tip of its tail. Mature Common Sharp-tailed Snakes are grey, yellow-brown, or red, often with a wide yellowish stripe on each side. The belly is pale with dark barring and sometimes is dusted with fine black speckling. The head is typically wider than the neck, often with a black mask over the eyes. Juveniles are usually brighter in colour and may be more vibrant orange or red.

Listen to the Indigenous words for “snake” here!

Similar Species

The Western Yellow-bellied Racer may superficially resemble the Sharp-tailed Snake as they all have a uniform dorsal colour and lack patterning. However, the Western Yellow-bellied Racer is light greenish-grey with a bright yellow belly, and the juveniles have substantial patterning. In its range, the Sharp-tailed Snake is often confused with juvenile gartersnakes, particularly the Northwestern Gartersnake.

Common Sharp-tailed Snake

Western Yellow-bellied Racer

Northwestern Gartersnake (Juvenile)

Distribution

The Common Sharp-tailed Snake is found from southwestern British Columbia through Washington, Oregon, and into the Sierra Nevada in California. They have a very patchy distribution, especially across the northern portion of their range. In British Columbia, it is only known to a few locations on southern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. There is one record of a Common Sharp-tailed Snake in the southern interior of B.C., though some biologists think this to be an error.
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Habitat

Common Sharp-tailed Snakes hibernate throughout the winter, likely in south-facing rocky slopes. During the active season, they are seldom found out in the open, and spend much of their lives underground or buried in the substrate. When they do surface, they are almost always found under cover objects like rocks and coarse woody debris, suggesting these are important microhabitat features. In British Columbia, Common Sharp-tailed Snakes are associated with Coastal Douglas-fir and Arbutus Forests. They are almost always found in moist, open woodlands, particularly near streams. The peak activity period for Common Sharp-tailed Snakes appears to be from March to early June, with a shorter secondary peak in September or October. During hot, dry periods in summer, they appear to be largely inactive.

Reproduction

Mating in Common Sharp-tailed Snakes is thought to occur in the spring in British Columbia, when groups of male-female pairs can be encountered. Common Sharp-tailed Snakes are oviparous, and lay 3 – 5 eggs in early summer in communal nesting sites, often in rocky crevices, underground, or in grass root clumps. Hatching occurs in the early autumn and juveniles develop very quickly. The age of sexual maturity is unknown but is likely reached between 3-6 years or at 20 cm in body length. Mark-recapture studies in British Columbia suggest that the lifespan of these snakes may be up to 9 years or more.

Diet

Common Sharp-tailed Snakes are slug specialists. They possess elongated, recurved teeth specially adapted to feeding on slippery prey. They may also eat young salamanders, frogs, and snails.

Conservation Status

Global: G5 (2016)

COSEWIC: E

SARA:1-E (2003)

Provincial: S1S2 (2018)

BC List: Red

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Threats

In British Columbia, the Common Sharp-tailed Snake has a small range, few localities, and is threatened by urban expansion and human disturbance. For these reasons, they are federally listed as Endangered. The greatest threat to Common Sharp-tailed Snakes is urban sprawl and deforestation, as the Coastal Douglas-Fir/Arbutus woodland habitats these snakes prefer are rapidly disappearing. These snakes are also thought to be persecuted by humans and predated by domestic pets like cats.

Very little is known about the habitat use and behaviour of Common Sharp-tailed Snakes in British Columbia. If you see a Sharp-tailed Snake, report your observation to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change.
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Did You Know?

When handled, Common Sharp-tailed Snakes will thrash side to side and sink their sharp tail spine into the skin of the handler. This is usually more surprising than painful, and acts as a distraction to allow for escape.

Common Sharp-tailed Snakes behave more like an amphibian than a reptile. During the heat of the summer, they are mostly inactive and may estivate underground until cooler weather.

Species Account Author: Marcus Atkins

References

B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2010. Species Summary: Contia tenuis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 16, 2021). 
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2018. Conservation Status Report: Contia tenuis. B.C. Minist. of Environment. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 16, 2021). 
B.C. Conservation Data Centre. 2021. BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer. B.C. Minist. of Environ. Victoria, B.C. Available: https://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/eswp/ (accessed Jun 16, 2021). 
B.C. Ministry of Environment. 2006. Sharp-Tailed Snake Identification Guide. 2pp. 
B.C. Ministry of Environment. 2015k. Recovery plan for the Sharp-Tailed Snake (Contia tenuis) in British Columbia. Prepared for the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC. 42 pp. 
British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. 2002. Sharp-Tailed Snake Contia tenuis. British Columbia’s Wildlife at Risk Fact Sheet. 2pp. 
COSEWIC. 2009e. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Sharp-Tailed Snake Contia tenuis in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa. vii + 38 pp. www.sararegistry.gc.ca/status/status_e.cfm). 
Engelstoft, C., and K. Ovaska. 2000. Natural History of the Sharp-Tailed Snake, Contia tenuis, on the Gulf Islands, British Columbia. Pp. 293-294 in L.M. Darling, ed. 2000. Proc. Conf. on the Biology and Manage. Species and Habitats at Risk, Kamloops, B.C., 15-19 Feb., 1999. Vol. 1; B.C. Minist. Environ., Lands and Parks, Victoria, BC, and Univ. College of the Cariboo, Kamloops, BC. 490pp. 
Environment and Climate Change Canada. 2020d. Recovery Strategy for the Sharp-Tailed Snake (Contia tenuis) in Canada. species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa. 2 parts, 17 pp. + 42 pp. 
Sharp-Tailed Snake Recovery Team. 2008. Recovery Strategy for the Sharp-Tailed Snake (Contia tenuis) in British Columbia. Prepared for the B.C. Ministry of Environment, Victoria, BC. 27 pp. 
https://www.bcreptiles.ca/snakes/sharptail.htm 
http://canadianherpetology.ca/species/species_page.html?cname=Common%20Sharp-Tailed%20Snake 
http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/efauna/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Contia%20tenuis&ilifeform=42