Arizona elegans (Glossy Snake)
Credit: Brad Shaffer
about the species
The glossy snake is a widespread species native to the drier regions of the southwestern US. In California, the species includes three subspecies that constitute an ecological and geographical replacement series: Arizona elegans eburmata (desert glossy snake), A. e. occidentalis (California glossy snake), and A. e. candida (Mojave glossy snake). Taken together, the three subspecies provide widespread representation of arid habitats and adjacent dry shrublands in California, including the Mojave and adjacent deserts, the San Joaquin Desert and Valley, and the Great Basin desert.
why species was selected
The California glossy snake is a California Species of Special Concern (Thomson et al, 2016) and a high priority species for coastal southern California including the peninsular ranges and Central Valley conservation efforts.
