HARMLESS. The Long-nosed Snake is characterized by smooth scales, a single anal scale, a generally white, unpatterned belly, and at least half the scales on the underside of the tail not divided into two rows, a character not found in any other harmless snake in Kansas. The ground color of this snake is yellowish or cream with 18- 35 black blotches on the body separated by pink or reddish interspaces. The tail has 6- 17 blotches. The belly is cream or white and normally unpatterned, but occasional specimens have black or brown markings. Adult males have slightly· longer tails and grow larger than females.
Adults normally grow 56.0-76.0 cm (22-32 inches) in total length. The largest specimen from Kansas is a male (KU 288638) from Barber County with a total length of 87.7 cm (34½ inches) collected by Steve Kamb on 15 May 1993. The maximum length throughout the range is 104.1 cm (41 inches) (Powell et al., 2016).
The majority of the records come from rocky areas in the High Plains and the Red Hills Prairie. This is most likely because these areas are searched most often. However, records from less easily sampled sandy areas (i.e. Pratt, southern Finney, and Logan counties) indicate that this species may be more widespread (and thus more difficult to collect) than currently understood. It probably reaches its peak abundance in the sand-sage prairies south of the Arkansas River west of Gray County.
This snake is active from April to September on open prairies, sandy regions, and beneath rocks along the slopes of canyons. Long-nosed Snakes are nocturnal, retreating to underground burrows during the day. During winter, this snake avoids cold temperatures by burrowing deep beneath the ground. Miller (1983) found a Long-nosed Snake under a large rock on a southwest-facing hillside in Barber County on 11 June. Miller (1987) reported on three of these reptiles, one collected on 2 May in Clark County and two on 7 July in Meade County; the Clark County specimen was found under a rock, while the Meade County specimens were observed crossing a highway at night.
Mating occurs during spring after emergence from winter inactivity. A female lays from four to nine eggs (average six) in an underground nest, and the eggs hatch in two to three months.
The Long-nosed Snake feeds on small rodents, lizards and lizard eggs, small snakes, and occasional insects. In Kansas, both Miller (1987) and Gubanyi (1992) recorded this snake eating Six-lined Racerunners.
Predators of this species include large birds, mammals, and other snakes (Collins, 1993).
First reported from Kansas by Cragin (1885: mentioned; 1886: detailed), based on a specimen found by Chancy Smith in a Medicine Lodge garden in the summer of 1885. The earliest existing specimen (KU 2334) was collected in Clark County in July of 1905 (no other associated data).
Miller (1987) studied this snake in southwest Kansas, contributing several new localities and habitat observations. This species is known from sporadic records throughout southwestern Kansas.
A single specimen of this species has been found along the Smoky-Hill River corridor in Logan County, (Taggart and Schmidt, 2002) and is in need of corroboration.
Like many other reptiles along the southwest border of Kansas, there are no easily identifiable environmental threats. Their rarity undoubtedly is a function of our ineptness at turning them up and thus is more perceived than real.
This taxon prefers fine loose Quaternary soils of alluvium, dune sand, and loess, but is also well-represented from the rockier soils throughout the Permian Nippewalla Group. Most records come from areas of sand sagebrush, and it is infrequently encountered outside of this habitat. Its fossorial habits typically preclude its discovery, and most observations occur as specimens are intercepted attempting to cross roadways at night under a new moon on hot summer nights. This record is corroborated by sympatric isolated populations of Glossy Snakes and Chihuahuan Green Toads
Burt (1935) reported a specimen collected in the sand sagebrush plains 3 miles north of Elkhart, Morton County, Kansas, on 27 May 1934.
Cope (1990) remarked that a specimen obtained by Francis Cragin at Garden City was notable in having the loreal plate entering the orbit below the preocular.
Platt et al. (1974) recommended establishment of a natural prairie area within the range of this snake in Kansas. The Long-nosed Snake was listed as a Kansas Threatened species in 1987 and downlisted to SINC in 2015.
Based on a captive specimen, Snider and Bowler (1992) reported a maximum longevity for this species of nineteen years, ten months, and 22 days.
References
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