A Guide to the Amphibians
and Reptiles of California

Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis - Desert Patch-nosed Snake

Click on a picture for a larger view

Range in California: Red

Click the map for a guide
to the other subspecies.

Pictures of this snake and its habitat in the Southwest

Adult, San Diego County

Adult, La Paz Co., Arizona
© Dick Bartlett

Adult, Imperial County
© Ed Pirog

Adult, Arizona
© Jeremiah Easter

Adult, Riverside County
© Glen Vargas

Adult, Riverside County
© Harold DeLisle

Adult, Maricopa County, Arizona

Detail of side stripes

Adult, Maricopa County, Arizona

Salvadora tracks on a sandy road, San Diego County

Intergrade

The snake above was found at 4,000 ft. in San Diego County in an area where coastal and desert species are found, including the Coast Patch-nosed Snake. But the pattern of this snake seems to have some influence from the Desert Patch-nosed Snake.

Habitat

Habitat, Riverside County

Habitat, Imperial County

Habitat, San Diego County

Habitat, San Bernardino County

Intergrade habitat, San Diego County

Habitat, San Diego County

Short Videos

A cold and sluggish Desert Patch-nosed Snake is gently prodded with a stick to encourage it to move for the camera, but the snake retaliates by racing away in a blur in typical patch-nosed snake fashion.

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.

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 pale gray with a broad yellow or tan stripe down the middle of the back, and dark stripes on the sides. The top of the head is gray. 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 in the southeast, from the desert slopes of the mountains north to roughly Riverside County, south into Baja California and Sonora, Mexico, and east into southeastern Arizona.

Habitat

Inhabits open arid and semi-arid areas - deserts, brushland, grassland, and scrub in canyons, rocky hillsides, sandy plains.
Salvadora hexalepis occurs at elevations from below sea level to around 7,000 ft. (2,130 m.)

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)

None.

Taxonomy
Family	Colubridae	Colubrids
Genus	Salvadora	Patch-nosed Snakes
Species	hexalepis	Western Patch-nosed Snake
Subspecies	hexalepsis	Desert Patch-nosed Snake
Original Description
Salvadora hexalepis - (Cope, "1866" 1867) - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 18, p. 304 from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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 from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
Alternate Names
The common name is sometimes written Desert Patchnose Snake.
Related or Similar California Snakes
S. h. mojavensis - Mohave Patch-nosed Snake S. h. virgultea - Coast Patch-nosed Snake M. f. piceus - Red Racer
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., 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. Wright, Albert Hazen & Anna Allen Wright. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press.

Conservation Status
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. This snake is not included on the Special Animals List, which indicates that there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California.
Organization	Status Listing
U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA)	None
California Endangered Species Act (CESA)	None
California Department of Fish and Game	None
Bureau of Land Management	None
USDA Forest Service	None
Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List

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