Arizona elegans
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Arizona elegans is a species of medium-sized colubrid snake commonly referred to as the glossy snake or the faded snake, which is native to southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It has several subspecies. Some have recommended that A. elegans occidentalis be granted full species status.
Subspecies of Arizona elegans include: Arizona elegans arenicola Dixon, 1960 – Texas glossy snake Arizona elegans candida Klauber, 1946 – Western Mojave glossy snake Arizona elegans eburnata Klauber, 1946 – Desert glossy snake
Arizona elegans elegans Kennicott, 1859 – Kansas glossy snake Arizona elegans expolita Klauber, 1946 – Chihuahua glossy snake Arizona elegans noctivaga Klauber, 1946 – Arizona glossy snake Arizona elegans occidentalis Blanchard, 1924 – California glossy snake
Arizona elegans philipi Klauber, 1946 – Painted Desert glossy snake The glossy snake and its many subspecies are all similar in appearance to gopher snakes. However, they are smaller than gopher snakes, with narrow, pointed heads, and a variety of skin patterns and colors. They appear "washed-out" or pale, hence the common name, "faded snakes".
Most subspecies are ca. 75–130 cm... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phoenix Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Glossy Snake sighting in Big Bend National Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 48 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Glossy Snake in Big Bend National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June, October and December–March, the lowest months. That is one of Big Bend National Park's wettest months, with about 50 mm of rain against 10 mm in April.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Glossy Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Glossy Snake sightings, Big Bend National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in Joshua Tree National Park (United States, about 20%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Glossy Snake that you can see in Big Bend National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Trans-pecos Ratsnake (about 30%), Coachwhip (about 20%) and Long-nosed Snake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Glossy Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Big Bend National Park (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
