Juvenile and Adult
- Rostral scale on tip of snout is higher than wide and raised above nearby scales
- Round pupils
- Scales keeled (ridge lengthwise on each scale)
- Four prefontal scales
- Black, brown, or reddish blotches along length of back and sides of body; become more widely spaced towards tail; belly white to yellowish, spotted with black
- Usually with dark stripe across head in front of eyes and from behind eye to angle of jaw
- May hiss loudly
- Background colour: ranges from yellowish brown to beige to cream-coloured along body
Total length: up to 200 cm
Range
- Found in the drier areas of grassland, sagebrush, farmlands, and native pastures of southeastern Alberta