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 (state), Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Sonora.The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.Subspecies
The following four subspecies are recognized: * ''Salvadora hexalepis hexalepis'' (Edward Drinker Cope, Cope, 1866) * ''Salvadora hexalepis klauberi'' Charles Mitchill Bogert, Bogert, 1945 * ''Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis'' Bogert, 1945 * ''Salvadora hexalepis virgultea'' Bogert, 1935Description
Adults of ''Salvadora hexalepis'' are, on average, 20-46 inches (51–117 cm) in total length;Albert Hazen WWright, 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.) the record total length is . They have a distinctive, thick scale curved back over the top of the snout, and free at the edges.Karl Patterson Schmidt, 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.) 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 climate, arid deserts in its area. It feeds upon lizards, snakes, reptile Egg (biology), eggs, and small rodents.Roger Conant (herpetologist), Conant, R. 1975. ''A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition''. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 429 pp. (paperback). ("Genus ''Salvadora''", pp. 187-188.)Reproduction
4-10 eggs are laid during spring or early summer and hatch in August through September.References
Further reading
* Charles Mitchill Bogert, Bogert, C.M. 1935. "''Salvadora grahamiae virgultea'', a new subspecies of the patch-nosed snake". ''Bull. Southern California Acad. Sci.'' 34 (1): 88-94. * Bogert, C.M. 1939. "A Study of the Genus ''Salvadora'', the Patch-nosed Snakes". ''Publ. Univ. California at Los Angeles'' 1: 177-236. * Bogert, C.M. "Two additional races of the patch-nosed snake, ''Salvadora hexalepis'' ". ''American Mus. Novitates'' (1285): 1-14. (''Salvadora hexalepis klauberi'' and ''Salvadora hexalepis mojavensis'', new subspecies) * Edward Drinker Cope, Cope, E.D. 1866. "On the REPTILIA and BATRACHIA of the Sonoran Province of the Nearctic Region". ''Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia'' 18: 300-314. (''"Phimothyra hexalepis n. sp. nov.'' [sic]", p. 304.) {{Taxonbar, from=Q2713757 Colubrids Articles containing video clips Snakes of North America Reptiles of Mexico Reptiles of the United States Reptiles described in 1866