Range in California: Orange
Click the map for a guide
to the other subspecies.
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Adult, San Pasqual Valley, San Diego County © Jason Jones |
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Habitat, coastal San Diego County |
Habitat, coastal San Diego County
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Description |
Nonvenomous |
| Considered harmless to humans. |
| Size |
| Salvadora hexalepis ranges in size from 10 - 46 inches long (25 - 117 cm). Most snakes seen will be around 26 - 36 inches (66 - 91 cm). |
| Appearance |
| A fast, moderately-sized slender striped snake with smooth scales, large eyes, and a large scale over the tip of the snout. Well-camouflaged, this snake is gray to brown with a broad yellow or tan stripe down the middle of the back (but narrower than the other subspecies), and dark brown sides (with no light stripes). The top of the head is brown. The underside is cream, sometimes shading to pale orange at the tail end. |
| Behavior |
| Little is known about the natural history of this species. Active during daylight, even in times of extreme heat. Terrestrial, but may climb shrubs in pursuit of prey. Burrows into loose soil. Able to move very quickly. Their acute vision allows them to escape quickly when they feel threatened, making this snake sometimes difficult to capture during the heat of the day. When cornered, they will inflate the body and strike. |
| Diet |
| Eats mostly lizards, along with small mammals, and possibly small snakes, nestling birds, and amphibians. |
| Reproduction |
| Lays eggs, probably May to August. |
| Range |
| Occurs in California from the northern Carrizo Plains in San Luis Obispo County, south through the coastal zone, south and west of the deserts, into coastal northern Baja California. |
| Habitat |
| Inhabits semi-arid brushy areas and chaparral in canyons, rocky hillsides, and plains. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| There are four subspecies of Salvadora hexalepis, with three occuring in California: S. h. hexalepis - Desert Patch-nosed Snake, S. h. mojavensis - Mohave Patch-nosed Snake, and S. h. virgultea - Coast Patch-nosed Snake. S. h. deserticola - Big Bend Patch-nosed Snake, which occurs in the Southwest, is recognized by many taxonomists as a unique species, Salvadora deserticola, leaving them to recognize only three subspecies of Salvadora hexalepis. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| This snake is considered uncommon along the southern coast area due to land changes from heavy grazing, development and loss of former habitat, though it's natural history and abundance have never been well-known or extensively studied. The state of California lists this subspecies as status: special concern. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Colubridae |
Colubrids |
| Genus |
Salvadora |
Patch-nosed Snakes |
| Species |
hexalepis |
Western Patch-nosed Snake |
Subspecies
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virgultea |
Coast Patch-nosed Snake |
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Original Description |
Salvadora hexalepis - (Cope, "1866" 1867) - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 18, p. 304
Salvadora hexalepis virgultea - Bogert, 1935 - Bull. S. California Acad. Sci., Vol. 34, Pt. 1, p. 89
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Salvadora - Latin - salvus - whole, sound, well preserved and dura - hide or skin -- "body covered w/smooth scales"
hexalepis - Greek - hex - six and lepisma - scale - refers to the 6th supralabial reaching the eye in the holotype
virgultea - Latin - underbrush, chapparel - refers to the southern CA brush or chapparal habitat
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
None
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Related or Similar California Snakes |
S. h. hexalepis -Desert Patch-nosed Snake
S. h. mojavensis - Mohave Patch-nosed Snake
M. f. piceus - Red Coachwhip
M. fuliginosus - Baja California Coachwhip
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Bartlett, R.D. , & Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America - Western Region. Gulf Publishing Co., 2000.
Ernst, Carl H., Evelyn M. Ernst, & Robert M. Corker. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003.
Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press.
Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997.
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The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
None |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
None |
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| California Department of Fish and Game |
DFG:SSC |
California Species of Special Concern |
| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
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| USDA Forest Service |
None |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
G5 |
Secure |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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None |
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