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Home/Species/ Long-nosed Snake

Rhinocheilus lecontei

Baird and Girard, 1853

Long-nosed Snake

G5Secure Found in 33 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101284
Element CodeARADB29010
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyColubridae
GenusRhinocheilus
Other Common Names
longnose snake (EN) Longnose Snake (EN)
Concept Reference
Manier M. K. 2004. Geographic variation in the long-nosed snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei): beyond the subspecies debate. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 83(1):65-85.
Taxonomic Comments
Manier (2004), in a detailed morphological analysis, concluded that no subspecies should be recognized.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-12-14
Change Date1996-10-30
Edition Date2005-12-14
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000 to >2,500,000 square km (about 80,000 to >1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from northern California, southern Idaho, Utah, southeastern Colorado, and southwestern Kansas south to central Baja California, Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, and Tamaulipas, at elevations ranging from below sea level in desert sinks to around 1,900 meters (6,233 feet) (Medica 1975, Stebbins 2003).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a very large number of occurrences or subpopulations. Medica (1975) mapped hundreds of collection sites.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known. Locally, some habitat has been lost or degraded as a result of urbanization or conversion to intensive agricultural uses.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Typical habitats include deserts, dry prairies, arid river valleys, thornbrush, and shrubland; sometimes oak-hackberry woodland (Werler and Dixon 2000, Stebbins 2003). This snake retreats underground or under rocks by day. Eggs are laid underground or under rocks.

Reproduction

Lays clutch of 4-11 eggs, June-August (Stebbins 1985). May possibly lay 2 clutches per year (Fitch 1970). Eggs hatch in 2-3 months (Collins 1982).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousDesert
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
UtahS3Yes
Navajo NationS2Yes
KansasS4Yes
IdahoS2Yes
CaliforniaSNRYes
NevadaS5Yes
OregonS1Yes
ColoradoS1Yes
OklahomaS3Yes
New MexicoS5Yes
TexasS5Yes
ArizonaS5Yes
Roadless Areas (33)
Arizona (14)
AreaForestAcres
BoulderTonto National Forest40,359
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Catalina St. Pk. Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest951
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
Lime CreekTonto National Forest42,568
Middle Romero WSRCoronado National Forest60
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Santa RitaCoronado National Forest6,078
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
WinchesterCoronado National Forest13,459
California (10)
AreaForestAcres
AntimonyLos Padres National Forest40,911
Black MountainLos Padres National Forest16,818
Cutca ValleyCleveland National Forest14,530
Fish CanyonAngeles National Forest29,886
Magic MountainAngeles National Forest15,542
Mill CreekSequoia National Forest27,643
Pine CreekCleveland National Forest503
Soldier CanyonInyo National Forest40,589
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
Wonoga Pk.Inyo National Forest11,272
Nevada (3)
AreaForestAcres
Charleston - Macks CynHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest11,378
Moriah - Rye Grass AHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest61
Moriah - Rye Grass BHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest392
New Mexico (3)
AreaForestAcres
Apache Kid ContiguousCibola National Forest67,542
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
Utah (3)
AreaForestAcres
Little CreekFishlake National Forest11,479
Signal PeakFishlake National Forest30,889
Stansbury MountainsWasatch-Cache National Forest39,696
References (19)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  2. Collins, J. T. 1982. Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. Second edition. Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist., Pub. Ed. Ser. 8. xiii + 356 pp.
  3. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  4. Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
  5. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  6. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  7. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  8. Degenhardt, W. G., C. W. Painter, and A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. xix + 431 pp.
  9. Ernst, C. H., and E. M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.
  10. Fitch, H. S. 1970. Reproductive cycles of lizards and snakes. Univ. Kansas Museum Natural History Miscellaneous Publication 52:1-247.
  11. Grismer, L. L. 2002. Amphibians and reptiles of Baja California including its Pacific islands and islands in the Sea of Cortes. University of California Press, Berkeley. xiii + 399 pp.
  12. Hammerson, G. A. 1999. Amphibians and reptiles in Colorado. Second edition. University Press of Colorado, Boulder. xxvi + 484 pp.
  13. Manier M. K. 2004. Geographic variation in the long-nosed snake (<i>Rhinocheilus lecontei</i>): beyond the subspecies debate. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 83(1):65-85.
  14. Medica, P. A. 1975. Rhinocheilus, R. lecontei. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 175.1-175.4.
  15. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  16. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
  17. Tennant, A. 1984. The Snakes of Texas. Texas Monthly Press, Austin, Texas. 561 pp.
  18. Tennant, A. 1998. A field guide to Texas snakes. Second edition. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas.
  19. Werler, J. E., and J. R. Dixon. 2000. Texas snakes: identification, distribution, and natural history. University of Texas Press, Austin. xv + 437 pp.