Salvadora hexalepis

Western patch-nosed snake
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Salvadora
Species:
S. hexalepis
Binomial name
Salvadora hexalepis
(Cope, 1866)
Synonyms
  • Phimothyra hexalepis
    Cope, 1866
  • Zamenis grahamiæ Var. hexalepis — Boulenger, 1896
  • Salvadora hexalepis
    — Stejneger, 1902

Salvadora hexalepis, the western patch-nosed snake, is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake, which is endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Geographic range

It is found in the southwestern United States in the states of Arizona, southern California, Nevada, southern New Mexico, and southwestern Texas. It is also found in northern Mexico in the Mexican states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Sonora.

Subspecies

The following four subspecies are recognized, along with their geographic ranges:

Common Name Scientific Name Geographic Range
Desert Patchnose Snake Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis (Cope, 1866) Southwest Arizona, southeast California, northeast Baja California, northwest Chihuahua.
Baja California Patchnose Snake Salvadora hexalepis klauberi Bogert, 1945 Southern Baja California, and the entirety of Baja California Sur.
Mojave Patchnose Snake Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis Bogert, 1945 Southeast California, northwest Arizona, western Nevada, and a tiny section of southwest Utah.
Coast Patchnose Snake Salvadora hexalepis virgultea Bogert, 1935 Southern California and northwest Baja California.

Description

At the end of the video, the snake feels threatened and strikes.

Adults of Salvadora hexalepis are, on average, 20-46 inches (51–117 cm) in total length; the record total length is 58 in (150 cm).

They have a distinctive, thick scale curved back over the top of the snout, and free at the edges.

All subspecies are yellowish with blackish lateral stripes in various arrangements.

The dorsal scales are smooth, and the anal plate is divided.

Behavior

The western patch-nosed snake inhabits arid deserts in its area. It feeds upon lizards, snakes, reptile eggs, and small rodents.

Eating a western whiptail
Eating an elegant earless lizard
Eating a rodent

Reproduction

4-10 eggs are laid during spring or early summer and hatch in August through September.

References

  1. ↑ Hammerson, G.A. (2007). "Salvadora hexalepis". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007. IUCN: e.T63912A12726250. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T63912A12726250.en. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ↑ Boulenger, G.A. 1896. Catalogue of the Snakes in the British Museum (Natural History). Volume III., Containing the Colubridæ (Opisthoglyphæ and Proteroglyphæ),... Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, Printers.) London. xiv + 727 pp. + Plates I.- XXV. (Zamenis grahamiæ Var. hexalepis, p. 622.)
  4. ↑ Stejneger, L., and T. Barbour. 1917. A Checklist of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts. 125 pp. (Salvadora hexalepis, p. 81.)
  5. ↑ Smith, H.M., and E.D. Brodie, Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Press. New York. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3 (paperback). (Salvadora hexalepis, pp. 194-195.)
  6. 1 2 Wright, A.H., and A.A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock. Ithaca and London. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes) (Salvadora hexalepis, pp. 651-663, Figures 190.-193. + Map 49. on p. 646.)
  7. 1 2 3 Schmidt, K. P., & D.D. Davis. 1941. Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. G.P. Putnam's Sons. New York. 365 pp. (Salvadora, pp. 135-139.)
  8. ↑ Zim, H.S., and H.M. Smith. 1956. Reptiles and Amphibians: A Guide to Familiar American Species: A Golden Nature Guide. Simon and Schuster. New York. 160 pp. ("Patch-nosed snakes", p. 88.)
  9. ↑ Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 429 pp. ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). ("Genus Salvadora", pp. 187-188.)

Further reading