Big Bend Patch-Nosed Snake
Salvadora deserticola
A desert colubrid with an enlarged, upturned rostral scale used for digging, marked by a bold pale vertebral stripe.
- Venomous?
- Non-venomous
- Adult length
- 0.6-0.9 m (2-3 ft)
- Range
- Trans-Pecos Texas and adjacent Chihuahuan Desert Mexico
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Overview
The Big Bend Patch-Nosed Snake is a Chihuahuan Desert specialist named for the enlarged, shovel-like scale on its snout. It belongs to the patch-nosed snake genus Salvadora, all of which share this distinctive rostral adaptation.
It is well suited to sandy and gravelly desert habitats where its digging snout helps it search for buried reptile eggs and prey.
How to identify it
- Slender body with a broad, pale tan to cream vertebral stripe bordered by darker lateral stripes
- Distinctively enlarged, upturned patch-like scale on the tip of the snout
- Smooth scales and round pupils
- Similar to other patch-nosed snakes; range and scale counts help separate species
Habitat & range
Inhabits Chihuahuan Desert scrub, rocky slopes, and arid grasslands of the Big Bend region and Trans-Pecos Texas into northern Mexico.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Diurnal and active on the ground, using its patch nose to dig for reptile eggs, a favored food, along with lizards and small snakes. Lays eggs in summer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the patch nose used for?
The enlarged snout scale helps the snake dig in loose soil, often to reach buried reptile eggs.
Is it dangerous to humans?
No, it is entirely non-venomous and harmless.
Where does it live?
In desert scrub and rocky terrain of the Big Bend region and the Chihuahuan Desert.
Big Bend Patch-Nosed Snake guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Big Bend Patch-Nosed Snake.
