Tantilla are small snakes, rarely exceeding 20 cm (8 inches) in total length (including tail). They are generally varying shades of
brown,
red or
black in color. Some species have a brown body with a black head.
Behavior
Tantilla are
nocturnal, secretive snakes. They spend most of their time buried in the moist leaf litter of semi-forested regions or under rocks and debris.
^Dumeril, Andre M. C., G. Bibron, and A. Dumeril. 1854. Erpetologie generale ou histoire naturelle complete des reptiles. Libraire Encyclopedique de Roret, Paris. Vol. 7 (pts. 1-2): 1-1536.
^Hallowell, Edward. 1860 [1861]. Report upon the Reptilia of the North Pacific exploring expedition under command of Capt. John Rogers, U. S. N. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science Philadelphia: 480-509.
^Günther, Albert. 1872 [1873]. Seventh account of new species of snakes in the collection of the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9, no. 49 (1872): 13-37.
^Cope, Edward D. 1894. Third addition to a knowledge of the Batrachia and Reptilia of Costa Rica. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sconces of Philadelphia. 1894: 194-206.
^Wilson, Larry David. 1982. Tantilla. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 303:1-4.
^
abBeolens, Bo;
Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp.
ISBN978-1-4214-0135-5. (Tantilla bairdi, p. 14; T. bocourti, p. 29).
Baird SF,
Girard CF (1853). Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.—Serpents. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution. xvi + 172 pp. (Tantilla, new genus, p. 104).
Stebbins RC (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. xiii + 533 pp.
ISBN0-395-98272-3 (paperback). (Genus Tantilla, pp. 397–399).
Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes) (Genus Tantilla, p. 722; key species and subspecies of Tantilla, pp. 723–725).
Tantilla are small snakes, rarely exceeding 20 cm (8 inches) in total length (including tail). They are generally varying shades of
brown,
red or
black in color. Some species have a brown body with a black head.
Behavior
Tantilla are
nocturnal, secretive snakes. They spend most of their time buried in the moist leaf litter of semi-forested regions or under rocks and debris.
^Dumeril, Andre M. C., G. Bibron, and A. Dumeril. 1854. Erpetologie generale ou histoire naturelle complete des reptiles. Libraire Encyclopedique de Roret, Paris. Vol. 7 (pts. 1-2): 1-1536.
^Hallowell, Edward. 1860 [1861]. Report upon the Reptilia of the North Pacific exploring expedition under command of Capt. John Rogers, U. S. N. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Science Philadelphia: 480-509.
^Günther, Albert. 1872 [1873]. Seventh account of new species of snakes in the collection of the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 9, no. 49 (1872): 13-37.
^Cope, Edward D. 1894. Third addition to a knowledge of the Batrachia and Reptilia of Costa Rica. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sconces of Philadelphia. 1894: 194-206.
^Wilson, Larry David. 1982. Tantilla. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 303:1-4.
^
abBeolens, Bo;
Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp.
ISBN978-1-4214-0135-5. (Tantilla bairdi, p. 14; T. bocourti, p. 29).
Baird SF,
Girard CF (1853). Catalogue of North American Reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Part I.—Serpents. Washington, District of Columbia: Smithsonian Institution. xvi + 172 pp. (Tantilla, new genus, p. 104).
Stebbins RC (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. xiii + 533 pp.
ISBN0-395-98272-3 (paperback). (Genus Tantilla, pp. 397–399).
Wright AH, Wright AA (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes) (Genus Tantilla, p. 722; key species and subspecies of Tantilla, pp. 723–725).