Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake
(Phyllorhynchus decurtatus)
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Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus) |
Color Photograph: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Phyllorhynchus browni The Saddled Leaf-nose Snake has a distinctive pattern of rectangular brown saddles separated by yellow-white bands.
Salvadora hexalepis The Western Patch-nosed Snake has an enlarged rostral scale. However the scale is not free of the snout and the tip does not completely divided in the internasal scales. This species is lined, not blotched.
Salvadora grahamiae The Graham Patch-nosed Snake has an enlarged rostral scale. However the scale is not free of the snout and the tip does not completely divided in the internasal scales. This species is lined, not blotched.
Heterodon nasicus The snout of the Western Hognose Snake has an enlarged rostral scale, but its margins are not free and gives the snout and upturned appearance when viewed from the side. Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus) Identification: Snake 12 to 20 inches in length.Rostral scale greatly enlarged with its margins free and curled upward over the snout like the hooked end of a shoe horn. Rostral scale completely separates the nasal scales. A pale pink, tan, yellow or gray snake with brown blotches irregularly spaced along the dorsal and lateral sides of the body. Belly white. Dorsal scales smooth except in males of some populations. Anal plate single. Geographical Variation: None. Range (see map on left): This species occurs in south-central Arizona and westward to southwestern California and southern Nevada. The species also occurs in Baja California and western Mexico. Habitat: This species occurs in desert regions with sandy or gravelly soils, particularly areas dominated by creosote bush. Food: Small lizards, particularly banded geckos. Behavior: The Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake is a nocturnal animal and is rarely seen. The snake burrows and hides below ground during the day. Reproduction: The clutch consists of 2 to 4 eggs, but little else is known about its reproductive biology.
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Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake
Similar Species: The species of the genus Gyalopion (the so-called Hook-nosed Snakes) have a large, concave rostral scale that makes each of its species look as if the snout is pointed upward from a lateral view. Saddled Leaf-nosed Snake (Phyllorhynchus browni) Western Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis) Graham Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora grahamiae) Western Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus) |
Similar Species |
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