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Western Leaf-nosed Snake Range Map






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Western Leaf-nosed Snake Juvenile

Home »» Snakes »» Colubridae (Colubrids) »» Western Leaf-nosed Snake (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus)


Western Leaf-nosed Snake (Phyllorhynchus decurtatus)STATUS





Description: Also called the Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake. 12 to 20 inches long. A small pale snake with dark blotches, smooth scales and a blunt snout. The rostral scale over the nose is enlarged and raised above the level of the other scales, giving this snake its name, as the scale looks like part of a leaf folded over the nose. The ground color is pale tan, pink, or greyish with brown blotches on the back from the back of the head to the tail. The underside is white and unmarked. Pupils are vertical. Some males may have weekly keeled scales.


Habitat: Sandy or gravelly deserts - open flats, washes, alluvial fans, foothills. Creosote bush is typically present. From below sea level in the Imperial Valley to about 4,000 ft.


Range: Occurs from Inyo County south through the Mojave and Colorado deserts up to the desert base of the mountain ranges. Ranges east into Nevada and the southwest edge of Utah, south to the Baja California cape region, and through western Arizona south along the western coast of Mexico.


Found in these States: AZ | CA | NV | UT


Diet: Small lizards, especially banded geckos, and lizard eggs.


Reproduction: Females are oviparous, laying eggs, probably from June to July.


Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.


Taxonomy:

»» Kingdom: Animalia - Animals
   »» Phylum: Chordata - Chordates
     »» Subphylum: Vertebrata - Vertebrates
       »» Class: Reptilia - Reptiles
         »» Order: Squamata - Scaled Reptiles
           »» Suborder: Serpentes
             »» Superfamily: Colubroidea
               »» Family: Colubridae - Colubrids
                   »» Genus: Phyllorhynchus
                     »» Species: Phyllorhynchus decurtatus - Western Leaf-nosed Snake

This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Phyllorhynchus", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.

 

 

 

 


Recommended Books at Amazon.com


U.S. Guide to Venomous Snakes and Their Mimics     Venomous Snakebite in the Western United States     Venomous Snakes Of The Southeast     The 10 Most Dangerous Snakes in the United States and Canada



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Disclaimer: ITIS taxonomy is based on the latest scientific consensus available, and is provided as a general reference source for interested parties. However, it is not a legal authority for statutory or regulatory purposes. While every effort has been made to provide the most reliable and up-to-date information available, ultimate legal requirements with respect to species are contained in provisions of treaties to which the United States is a party, wildlife statutes, regulations, and any applicable notices that have been published in the Federal Register. For further information on U.S. legal requirements with respect to protected taxa, please contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 
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