The Sharp-tailed Snake or Sharptail Snake (Contia tenuis) is a small, locally common colubrid snake that lives in the western United States. The snake averages from eight to twelve inches long as an adult. It is distinguished by its sharp tail spine, which is the protruding tip of the last tail vertebrae. The spine is not toxic and cannot injure humans. Rather, the tail is used to stabilize small prey, such as slugs, for consumption. The dorsal surface ranges in color from greyish-brown to brown to brick red, with bubble-gum pink and peachy-orange specimens occasionally found. The ventral surface is a striking series of black and white bars. The Sharp-tailed snake is distributed the states of Oregon, Washington, and California, as well as British Columbia, Canada.