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| Adult, San Luis Obispo County © Ryan Singer |
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| Adut, San Luis Obispo County © Brian Hubbs |
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| The 8 pictures above are all of the same adult snake from eastern San Diego County in the mountains above the desert. |
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| Adult, San Pasqual Valley, San Diego County © Jason Jones |
Adult, Dulzura, San Diego County
© Jason Jones |
Neonate, from Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County © Andreas Kettenburg |
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| Adult, San Diego County © Taylor Henry |
Adult, Campo, San Diego County.
© 2005 William Flaxington |
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| © Jake Sibley Jake found this adult snake foraging around some holes on a trail in San Diego County. You can see its tracks from where it was crawling around. It was easy to approach when the snake's head was in a hole as long as he froze when its head was out so the snake didn't run off. It kept poking its specialized dirt-poking snout into the loose dirt looking for something to eat before crawling away. |
Adult, San Diego County
© 2005 Jeremiah Easter |
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| Adult, Los Angeles County © Gregory Litiatco |
Adult, San Diego County © Jay Keller |
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| Adult, San Diego County © Douglas Brown |
Adult, Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles County © Huck Triggs |
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| Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles County © Harry Moffett |
Adult, Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles County © Harry Moffett |
Adult discovered by Mike Dee in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County.
© Aaron Wells
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Adult, San Luis Obispo County
© Ryan Sikola |
Adult, Orange County |
Adult, Santa Barbara County.
© Will Cronan |
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| Adult, Los Angeles County © Zeev Nitzan Ginsberg |
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| Feeding and Predation |
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| A California Striped Racer eats a Coast Patch-nosed Snake in Los Angeles County, near Altadena. © David Couch |
A Coast Patch-nosed Snake trying to kill and eat a San Diegan Tiger Whiptail in San Diego County © Tom Day
Watch a video of this at the link below. |
A Coast Patch-nosed Snake constricts a San Diegan Tiger Whiptail in Los Angeles County © Anonymous, Picture courtesy of Brian Hubbs. |
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| Habitat |
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| Habitat, San Diego County |
Habitat, San Diego County |
Habitat, San Diego County
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Habitat, San Diego County |
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| Habitat, San Diego County |
Habitat, San Gabriel Mountains,
Los Angeles County
© William Flaxington
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Habitat, San Diego County |
Habitat, San Diego County |
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| Habitat, Santa Monica Mountains, Los Angeles County © Huck Triggs |
Habitat, San Luis Obispo County
© Ryan Singer |
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| Short Videos |
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| A Coast Patch-nosed snake races across a dirt road into the brush. |
An intergrade patch-nosed snake on a dirt road in the morning makes a few attempts to get away from me, then after waiting patiently for the right moment, finally dashes across the road to freedom. |
A Coast Patch-nosed Snake trying to kill and eat a San Diegan Tiger Whiptail in San Diego County © Tom Day |
A Coast Patch-nosed Snake climbs a steep cliff about ten or more feet up off the ground in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles County. © William Mason |
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Description |
Not Dangerous - This snake does not have venom that can cause death or serious illness or injury in most humans.
Commonly described as "harmless" or "not poisonous" to indicate that its bite is not dangerous, but "not venomous" is more accurate. (A poisonous snake can hurt you if you eat it. A venomous snake can hurt you if it bites you.)
Observations of lizard predation have provided evidence that Western Patch-nosed Snake might use a prey-specific venom that is introduced through chewing with the rear teeth.
(Brian K. Sullivan and Scott A. Weinstein. Foraging and Prey Handling in the Western Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis), and Consideration of Venom Use in Non-front-fanged Colubroid Snakes. Herpetological Review 48(1), 2017.)
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| Size |
The species Salvadora hexalepis ranges from 10 - 46 inches long (25 - 117 cm).
Most snakes seen are 26 - 36 inches (66 - 91 cm) in length.
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| Appearance |
A fast, moderately-sized slender striped snake with smooth scales, large eyes, and an enlarged rostral (the scale over the tip of the snout.)
There are 9 upper labial scales, usually only the sixth one reaches the eye.
The loreal scale is divided into 2 - 4 scales.
The conspicuously enlarged rostral
and middorsal stripe differentiate this snake from all other species in its range.
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| Color and Pattern |
Well-camouflaged, this snake is gray to brown with dark brown sides (without any light stripes) and a broad yellow or tan stripe down the middle of the back (which is narrower than the stripe found on other subspecies of patch-nosed snakes).
The underside is cream colored, sometimes shading to pale orange at the tail end.
The sides may be dark on all but the lowermost 1 or 2 scale rows.
The top of the head is brown.
The width of the pale middorsal stripe is usually 1 full scale bordered by 2 half scales. |
| Similar Subspecies Found in California |
Comparison of the 3 subspecies of Salvadora hexalepis found in California.
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| Life History and Behavior |
| Little is known about the natural history of this species. These notes are based on observations of the species as a whole. |
| Activity |
Diurnal - active during daylight, even in times of extreme heat.
Terrestrial, but also climbs shrubs in pursuit of prey.
Burrows into loose soil.
Able to move very quickly.
Acute vision allows this snake to escape quickly when threatened, making it sometimes difficult to observe or capture during the heat of the day.
Enlarged back teeth might be used to envenomate prey. (Grismer, 2002)
The enlarged rostral scale (on the tip of the nose) is thought to be useful in excavating buried lizard eggs.
It may also be used to dig into underground burrows: A Western Patch-nosed Snake in San Bernardino County was observed in an apparent attempt to catch a small rodent by forcefully ramming its head into the dirt at the base of a Creosote bush which opened a small hole in the ground, and crawling into the hole. A small rodent emerged from a different hole under the bush and ran away. (Herpetological Review 44(2), 2013)
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| Defense |
| When cornered, will inflate the body and strike. |
| Diet and Feeding |
Eats mostly lizards, especially whiptails, along with small mammals, and possibly small snakes, nestling birds, reptile eggs, and amphibians.
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| Reproduction |
Females are oviparous, laying 4-12 eggs, probably between May and August. (Stebbins, 2003)
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| Habitat |
Inhabits semi-arid brushy areas and chaparral in canyons, rocky hillsides, and plains.
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| Geographical Range |
The species Salvadora hexalepis - Western Patch-nosed Snake, is found in southern California, Nevada, extreme southwestern Utah, Arizona, southeastern New Mexico, west Texas, and south into western Mexico, including Baja California.
This subspecies, Salvadora hexalepis virgultea - Coast Patch-nosed Snake, 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.
There is also a 1958 sight record from Corral Hollow in San Joaquin County.
(Eric R. Pianka and Laurie J. Vitt. Lizards - Windows to the Evolution of Diversity. University of California Press, 2003. (Laurie Vitt, Page 6.)
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| Elevational Range |
Salvadora hexalepis occurs at elevations from below sea level to around 7,000 ft. (2,130 m.) (Stebbins, 2003)
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| Notes on Taxonomy |
There are five subspecies of Salvadora hexalepis, with three occurring in California:
S. h. hexalepis - Desert Patch-nosed Snake,
S. h. mojavensis - Mohave Patch-nosed Snake,
S. h. virgultea - Coast Patch-nosed Snake,
S. h. klauberi - Baja California Patch-nosed Snake, and
S. h. deserticola - Big Bend Patch-nosed Snake,
which occurs in the Southwest, is recognized by some taxonomists as a unique species, Salvadora deserticola.
Alternate and Previous Names (Synonyms)
Salvadora hexalepis - Patch-nosed Snake (Phimothyra hexalepis; Salvadora grahamiae hexalepis; Zamenis grahami Salvadora grahamiae. Banded Flat-nosed Snake; Graham's Flat-nosed Snake) (Grinnell and Camp 1917)
Patchnose Snake
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| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
Designated a California Species of Special Concern.
Considered uncommon along the southern coast area due to land changes from heavy grazing, development and loss of former habitat, and loss of prey.
Described as "...declining or absent from large areas of the Los Angeles basin and along the coast to San Diego." (Thomson, Wright, and Shaffer, 2016)
This subspecies has been considered historically uncommon since it was described in the early 20th century, which is long before much of the species' habitat was paved and developed. Klauber (1924) suggested that it was historically uncommon. So it's current scarcity "...may suggest a moderate decline of the last 60 years." (Thomson, Wright, and Shaffer, 2016)
"Because a large component of its diet probably consists of Aspidoscelis species, S. h. virgultea may be susceptible to decline in areas where Aspidoscelis are declining. The two species found within its range, the orange-throated whiptail (A. hyperythra) and the coastal whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri) are both under threat." (Thomson, Wright, and Shaffer, 2016) |
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| Taxonomy |
| Family |
Colubridae |
Colubrids |
Oppel, 1811 |
| Genus |
Salvadora |
Patch-nosed Snakes |
Baird and Girard, 1853 |
| Species |
hexalepis |
Western Patch-nosed Snake |
(Cope, 1866) |
Subspecies
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virgultea |
Coast Patch-nosed Snake |
Bogert, 1935 |
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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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Related or Similar California Snakes |
S. h. hexalepis -Desert Patch-nosed Snake
S. h. mojavensis - Mohave Patch-nosed Snake
M. f. piceus - Red Racer
M. fuliginosus - Baja California Coachwhip
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More Information and References |
California Department of Fish and Wildlife
Hansen, Robert W. and Shedd, Jackson D. California Amphibians and Reptiles. (Princeton Field Guides.) Princeton University Press, 2025.
Stebbins, Robert C., and McGinnis, Samuel M. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Revised Edition (California Natural History Guides) University of California Press, 2012.
Stebbins, Robert C. California Amphibians and Reptiles. The University of California Press, 1972.
Flaxington, William C. Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Field Observations, Distribution, and Natural History. Fieldnotes Press, Anaheim, California, 2021.
Samuel M. McGinnis and Robert C. Stebbins. Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles & Amphibians. 4th Edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2018.
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., and F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Powell, Robert., Joseph T. Collins, and Errol D. Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. The University Press of Kansas, 1998.
Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Snakes of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009.
Bartlett, R. D. & Alan Tennant. Snakes of North America - Western Region. Gulf Publishing Co., 2000.
Brown, Philip R. A Field Guide to Snakes of California. Gulf Publishing Co., 1997.
Ernst, Carl H., Evelyn M. Ernst, & Robert M. Corker. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, 2003.
Taylor, Emily. California Snakes and How to Find Them. Heyday, Berkeley, California. 2024.
Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press, 1957.
Robert C. Thomson, Amber N. Wright, and H. Bradley Shaffer. California Amphibian and Reptile Species of Special Concern. University of California Press, 2016.
Grismer, L. Lee. Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California, Including Its Pacific Islands and the Islands in the Sea of Cortés. The University of California Press, 2002.
Joseph Grinnell and Charles Lewis Camp. A Distributional List of the Amphibians and Reptiles of California. University of California Publications in Zoology Vol. 17, No. 10, pp. 127-208. July 11, 1917.
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The following conservation status listings for this animal are taken from the April 2024 State of California Special Animals List and the April 2024 Federally Listed Endangered and Threatened Animals of California list (unless indicated otherwise below.) Both lists are produced by multiple agencies every year, and sometimes more than once per year, so the conservation status listing information found below might not be from the most recent lists. To make sure you are seeing the most recent listings, go to this California Department of Fish and Wildlife web page where you can search for and download both lists:
https://www.wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Plants-and-Animals.
A detailed explanation of the meaning of the status listing symbols can be found at the beginning of the two lists. For quick reference, I have included them on my Special Status Information page.
If no status is listed here, the animal is not included on either list. This most likely indicates that there are no serious conservation concerns for the animal. To find out more about an animal's status you can also go to the NatureServe and IUCN websites to check their rankings.
Check the current California Department of Fish and Wildlife sport fishing regulations to find out if this animal can be legally pursued and handled or collected with possession of a current fishing license. You can also look at the summary of the sport fishing regulations as they apply only to reptiles and amphibians that has been made for this website.
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| Organization |
Status Listing |
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| NatureServe Global Ranking |
G5T4 |
The species is: Secure.
This subspecies is: Apparently Secure. |
| NatureServe State Ranking |
S3 |
Vulnerable |
| 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 Wildlife |
SSC |
Species of Special Concern |
| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
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| USDA Forest Service |
None |
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| IUCN |
None |
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