About Tantilla coronata Baird & Girard, 1853
Tantilla coronata (southeastern crown snake) is a small, slender snake, typically greyish-brown or solid light brown in overall color. It has a black, pointed head, with a yellowish or cream band between the head and the neck. Immediately after this band, there is a black collar that is 3 to 5 scales wide. The rest of the snake's back is reddish brown, while its belly is light pink or solid white. It has smooth dorsal scales arranged in 15 rows, and a divided anal plate. Adult individuals average 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10 inches) in total length. This species occurs in Alabama, northwestern Florida, Georgia, extreme southern Indiana, western Kentucky, eastern Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and south-central Virginia. Its largest populations are found in areas with sandy or loose soils and abundant organic litter, and it commonly inhabits both damp and dry woodland habitats. Tantilla coronata is oviparous, and generally produces 1 to 3 eggs per clutch. Mating takes place from spring through fall. Females that mate in the fall store sperm until the following spring. Females typically lay their eggs in June and July, and the eggs hatch in the fall.
