Forest Sharp-tailed Snake vs. Common Sharp-tailed Snake

Two sharp-tailed snakes split in 2010; they live together in parts of southwestern Oregon. Tail length and the scales under the tail are the only way to tell them apart. A: A longer tail: about 16.5-22.6% of total length in males, 14.2-18.5% in females in the Forest Sharp-tailed Snake; a shorter tail: about 12.3-16.3% in males, 7.8-12.4% in females in the Common Sharp-tailed Snake. B: 43 or more pairs under the tail (males 48-62, females 43-53) in the Forest Sharp-tailed Snake; fewer than 43 pairs (males 33-42, females 24-35) in the Common Sharp-tailed Snake. Count the paired scales under the tail, from the vent to the tip; both have black-and-white barred bellies.

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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