Distribution of the Western Black-Headed Snake (Tantilla planiceps) in California: Implications for Management

The Western Black-headed Snake (Tantilla planiceps) is one species of a complex of cryptic, ground-dwelling species that are not well studied. Historical range maps in California were based on a small number of specimens and have been incrementally reinterpreted, typically showing a reduced area ove...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inWestern North American naturalist Vol. 84; no. 2; pp. 175 - 187
Main Authors Alvarez, Jeff A, Vang, Christopher D
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Provo Western North American Naturalist 01.07.2024
Subjects
Biologists
Biology
Citizen scientists
Digitization
Museums
Publishing industry
Reptiles
Reptiles & amphibians
Snakes
Tantilla planiceps
Topography
United States
Mexico
United States > US
Alameda County California
California
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Summary:The Western Black-headed Snake (Tantilla planiceps) is one species of a complex of cryptic, ground-dwelling species that are not well studied. Historical range maps in California were based on a small number of specimens and have been incrementally reinterpreted, typically showing a reduced area over time. More recently, with access to online sources for museum specimens and citizen science projects, locality data from verifiable observations have increased dramatically. We believe that current observations expand the range--but not outside of the historical lines--and reconnect populations that were considered disjunct over time. We recommend that biologists, herpetologists, naturalists, and citizen scientists report findings of this species so that future iterations of range maps can be based on observational data. We contend that this effort is essential to appropriate management of the species.
ISSN:1527-0904
DOI:10.3398/064.084.0202