Sonora semiannulata
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The western ground snake (Sonora semiannulata) is a species of small, harmless colubrid snake. The species is endemic to North America. Its patterning and coloration can vary widely, even within the same geographic region. Another common name is miter snake referring to the head marking which suggests a bishop's miter; the synonym "episcopus " (Latin for "bishop") is a similar allusion.
S. semiannulata is native to the Southwestern United States, in Arizona, Nevada, California, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Utah, as well as northern Mexico, in Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, and Sonora.
The western ground snake can grow to a total length (including tail) of 8 to 19 inches (20.3 to 48.3 cm). The color and pattern can vary widely. Individuals can be brown, red, or orange, with black banding, orange or brown striping, or be solid-colored. The underside is typically white or gray. It has smooth dorsal scales, a small head, and the pupil of the eye is round.
The preferred habitat of S. semiannulata is dry, rocky areas with loose soil. The western ground snake is typically... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Big Bend National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ground Snake sighting in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 14th most-seen of the 23 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ground Snake in Grand Canyon National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July–August and November–February, the lowest months. That is one of Grand Canyon National Park's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain against 40 mm in March.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ground Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Among the best
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Ground Snake sightings, Grand Canyon National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Death Valley National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Ground Snake that you can see in Grand Canyon National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Gopher Snake (about 30%), California King Snake (about 10%) and Western Patch-nosed Snake (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ground Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Grand Canyon National Park (28 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.
