Range in California: Orange
Click the map for a guide
to the other subspecies.
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| The pictures above are all of the same adult snake from San Diego County. |
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Adult, San Pasqual Valley, San Diego County © Jason Jones |
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| Adult, San Diego County © Taylor Henry |
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Neonate, from Santa Clarita, Los Angeles County © Andreas Kettenburg |
| Intergrade |
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| 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 seen at the top of this page. But the pattern of this snake seems to have some influence from the Desert Patch-nosed Snake. |
| Habitat |
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Habitat, San Diego County |
Habitat, San Diego County
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Habitat, San Diego County |
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| Habitat, San Diego County |
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Habitat, San Diego County
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| Habitat, San Diego County |
Habitat, San Diego County |
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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. |
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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.
Salvadora hexalepis occurs at elevations from below sea level to around 7,000 ft. (2,130 m.)
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| 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 Racer
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., 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.
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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 |
G5T3 S2S3 |
Secure |
World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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None |
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