Is the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake venomous?

No. The Mountain Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora grahamiae) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.

Is the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake poisonous?

Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Mountain Patch-nosed Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.

Is the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake dangerous?

The Mountain Patch-nosed Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.

How do I identify the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake?

Slender with a bold longitudinal stripe and a large scale over the snout.

Patchnose snake

Mountain Patch-nosed Snake

Harmless

Salvadora grahamiae

Mountain Patch-nosed Snake — Salvadora grahamiae, © Nick Loveland

6 photographs of the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake. © Nick Loveland.

The Mountain Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora grahamiae) is a non-venomous snake in the Colubridae family.

Also called: Patchnose snake
Family: Colubridae
Size: Slender, 2–4 ft.
Habitat: Deserts and dry grasslands.
Behavior: Fast and day-active; the enlarged snout scale helps it dig.
Identify: Slender with a bold longitudinal stripe and a large scale over the snout.

About the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake

Salvadora grahamiae, also known commonly as the eastern patch-nosed snake and the mountain patchnose snake, is a species of snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and adjacent northeastern Mexico.

Etymology

The specific name, grahamiae, is in honor of Colonel James Duncan Graham, United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.

Geographic range

S. grahamiae is found in the US states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, and in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Querétaro, Tamaulipas, and Veracruz.

Habitat

S. grahamiae occurs in a wide variety of habitats including forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, and desert, at altitudes from sea level to 1,980 m (6,500 ft).

Description

S. grahamiae may attain a total length (including tail) of 47 in (120 cm). It has eight upper labials. The posterior chin shields touch or are separated by only one small scale.

Diet

S. grahamiae preys predominately upon lizards, especially those of the genus Aspidoscelis. It also eats reptile eggs, small snakes, nestling birds, and small mammals.

Reproduction

S. grahamiae is oviparous. Eggs are laid in April–June, and clutch size is 5–10.

Adapted from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA.

Frequently asked: Mountain Patch-nosed Snake

Is the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake venomous?: No. The Mountain Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora grahamiae) is non-venomous and is not considered dangerous to humans. Like most snakes, it will retreat rather than bite when given the chance.
Is the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake poisonous?: Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. "Poisonous" means harmful to eat or touch; "venomous" means injecting toxins through a bite. The Mountain Patch-nosed Snake is neither poisonous nor venomous.
Is the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake dangerous?: The Mountain Patch-nosed Snake is not dangerous to humans. It has no medically significant venom and bites only defensively if cornered or handled.
How do I identify the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake?: Slender with a bold longitudinal stripe and a large scale over the snout.
How big does the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake get?: Slender, 2–4 ft.
What does the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake eat?: S. grahamiae preys predominately upon lizards, especially those of the genus Aspidoscelis. It also eats reptile eggs, small snakes, nestling birds, and small mammals.
Why is it called the Mountain Patch-nosed Snake?: The specific name, grahamiae, is in honor of Colonel James Duncan Graham, United States Army Corps of Topographical Engineers.

More Colubridae snakes

Classification

How scientists group this snake, from the broadest category down to the exact species. Each step narrows to its closest relatives.

OrderThe broad group of scaled reptiles: all snakes and lizards: Squamata
FamilyA group of related snakes that share key traits: Colubridae
GenusA close-knit group of very similar species: Salvadora
SpeciesThis exact snake, named in the two-part scientific name: Salvadora grahamiae

Keep learning

Distribution from GBIF & iNaturalist. Venom status per CDC. Background: Wikipedia. Informational only. Never handle a snake to identify it.