Patch-nosed Snake
Salvadora grahamiae • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Salvadora, Species: S. grahamiae
Southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, extending south into central Mexico.
Look up Patch-nosed Snake in the Snake Encyclopedia →Venomous Status
Non-venomous (though members of the Colubridae family can have Duvernoy's glands, they lack fangs or medically significant toxins).
Danger Level
Harmless - poses no threat to humans or pets; very reluctant to bite even when handled.
Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Colubridae, Subfamily: Colubrinae, Genus: Salvadora, Species: S. grahamiae
Conservation
Least Concern (IUCN); however, populations face localized threats from habitat loss and road mortality.
Physical Description
Slender body with a tan, gray, or olive base color and two prominent dark longitudinal stripes. The head is distinct from the neck with large eyes and round pupils. The diagnostic feature is an enlarged, triangular, scale wrapped around the tip of the snout (rostral scale).
Size & Dimensions
Typically 20–36 inches (50–91 cm) in length. Maximum recorded is approximately 47 inches. This specimen appears to be an adult based on proportions.
Habitat
Arid and semi-arid regions including desert scrub, grasslands, oak-juniper woodlands, and rocky canyons from sea level up to 8,000 feet.
Behavior & Temperament
Highly active, diurnal forager with extreme speed. When threatened, it relies on its quickness to flee into crevices or heavy brush. It is generally very docile.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily saurivorous, feeding on lizards and their eggs. They will occasionally take small rodents or other snakes. They are active hunters that use sight to find prey.
Reproduction
Oviparous (egg-laying). Females lay clutches of 4–10 eggs during the summer months; hatchlings emerge in late summer or early fall.
Venom Profile
Non-venomous - no medically significant venom.
Look-alikes
Garter snakes (Thamnophis ssp.) and Ribbon snakes, which have keeled scales and lack the specialized patch-nose scale. Striped Whipsnakes (Masticophis taeniatus) are larger and have a different stripe configuration.
Conservation Status
Least Concern (IUCN); however, populations face localized threats from habitat loss and road mortality.
Cultural Significance
Valued by ecologists and gardeners for its role in controlling lizard and small rodent populations; serves as an indicator of healthy arid ecosystems.
Notable Features
The 'patch' on the nose is an evolutionary adaptation thought to assist the snake in prying into soil or leaf litter to unearth lizard eggs and fossorial prey.