Hitchhiker from California

This little guy/gal traveled all the way from a nursery in Cali. to Star nursery where my sister works on a delivery truck in a 6 pack of bell pepper plants.
My sister of course saved it for me knowing how much I love snakes. It is a bit scared but pretty calm.. And is settled down all nicely in its new little home.. I am not 100% positive on what it is, but pretty confident that it is a Night Snake (Hypsiglena torquata).. I was torn between that and the Glossy snake (Arizona elegans). If any of you Californians or herpetologists out there know what it is for sure, please let me know

Also I am very very sorry but I couldnt resize the pics.. Ever since photobucket changed its format for editing I have had problems.. Its not very dial up friendly anymore

Looks like a Desrt Night Snake. Hypsiglena chlorophaea (torquata) deserticola.



From californiaherps.com.

You sure end up with some weird snakes! Cute!

What a lovely snake. Wicked eye's. How big do they grow?

Tyflyer... Thank you I am pretty positive that is what it is.. They are mildly venomous rear fanged too My first rear fanged snake .. Could be a California night snake also.. But they are all basically the same, just different ranges.

Nanci... I know huh lol... And small ones at that..

DJ Freebase.. I like the way his eyes slit like that.. Adults can be from 12 -26 inches in length, but rarely over 16.

It says they eat mostly lizards and their eggs, small snakes, sometimes frogs salamanders and invertebrates..
I have no Idea what I am going to feed this thing Any advice.. I was thinking he might be a cricket eater, but no. I wonder if he could eat tiny feeder fish??
ANy advice

I wonder if you could scent pinks and get him switched?

Nanci said:

I wonder if you could scent pinks and get him switched?

Click to expand...

It would probably work, with live pinks. Night snakes aren't known for being scavengers...they are hunters primarily.

I would go out and catch a few hatchling fence lizards. You should start seeing them in droves over the next few weeks. Freeze them to kill parasite, and feed them F/T, until you get down to the last one or two. Than you can use the frozen ones to scent live pinky mice, and hopefully convert him.

If not...nightsnakes are fairly common in most of Nevada as well as California. Depending on where, exactly, you are in NV, you could release him in the wild...

Where would I go to find the hatchling lizards? His head is really tiny lol, I cant see him eating anything too big. I live right by the desert and there are usually lizards in my yard, but bigger ones. I have never seen a lizard that was tiny like he would need. LOL
Oh and I live in Las Vegas..