top of page
< Back

Night Snake

The Night Snake, often called the Desert Night Snake in Canada, is one of the rarest snakes in British Columbia and is provincially Red-listed and federally designated Endangered. It occurs only in the dry grassland and shrub-steppe regions of the southern Okanagan and lower Similkameen Valleys, representing the northernmost extent of its range. Fewer than 100 individual sightings have been recorded in Canada since its discovery here, highlighting its secretive nature and rarity.

Night Snake

Night Snakes are small, slender colubrid snakes reaching about 30–66 cm (12–26 in) in total length. Their color ranges from pale gray, tan, or light brown to yellowish, with dark brown or gray blotches along the back and sides. Distinctive dark bars through the eyes and blotches on the neck help distinguish them from other reptiles. They have vertical pupils and smooth scales. Although technically venomous with rear-fanged dentition, their venom is mild and not dangerous to humans.

bottom of page