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Home/Species/ Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake

Phyllorhynchus decurtatus

(Cope, 1868)

Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake

G5Secure Found in 1 roadless area NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104596
Element CodeARADB25020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyColubridae
GenusPhyllorhynchus
Other Common Names
Spotted Leafnose Snake (EN)
Concept Reference
Gardner, S. A., and J. R. Mendelson, III. 2004. Taxonomy and geographic variation in the leaf-nosed snake Phyllorhynchus decurtatus (Squamata: Colubridae). Journal of Herpetology 38:187-196.
Taxonomic Comments
Nominal subspecies are of questionable validity; geographic variation is in need of further study (McDiarmid and McCleary 1993). Gardner and Mendelson (2004) examined morphological variation throughout the range of P. decurtatus and concluded that the named subspecies do not warrant recognition.
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-12-13
Change Date1996-10-30
Edition Date2005-12-13
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from southern California (north to Inyo County), southern Nevada, extreme southwestern Utah, and central Arizona to southern Baja California (Grismer 2002) and southern Sonora (and one location in southern Sinaloa), Mexico, including certain islands in the Gulf of California; a record from San Joaquin County, California, is presumed not to represent a natural occurrence (McCleary and McDiarmid 1993). The elevational range extends from below sea level to about 1,220 meters (4,000 feet) (Stebbins 2003).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by numerous occurrences or subpopulations (see map in McCleary and McDiarmid 1993).
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats are known.
Ecology & Habitat

Description

See McCleary and McDiarmid (1993).

Diagnostic Characteristics

See McCleary and McDiarmid (1993).

Habitat

The habitat generally consists of rocky, gravelly, or sandy desert plains or dunes with creosotebush (Stebbins 2003). This snake may burrow into loose soil or sand, and it hides under rocks or surface debris or in abandoned rodent burrows (Stebbins 1954, Ernst and Ernst 2003).

Reproduction

Little information available. Lays a clutch of 2-4 eggs, apparently during June-July (Stebbins 1985). Goldberg (1996, J. Herpetol. 30:280-282) recorded oviductal eggs in early to mid-July in Arizona.
Terrestrial Habitats
Desert
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
CaliforniaSNRYes
NevadaS4Yes
ArizonaS5Yes
UtahS1Yes
Roadless Areas (1)
California (1)
AreaForestAcres
South SierraInyo National Forest41,853
References (12)
  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. 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.
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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]
  6. Gardner, S. A., and J. R. Mendelson. 2003. Diet of the leaf-nosed snakes, <i>Phyllorhynchus</i> (Squamata: Colubridae): squamate-egg specialists. Southwestern Naturalist 48:550-556.
  7. Gardner, S. A., and J. R. Mendelson, III. 2004. Taxonomy and geographic variation in the leaf-nosed snake <i>Phyllorhynchus decurtatus</i> (Squamata: Colubridae). Journal of Herpetology 38:187-196.
  8. McCleary, R. J. R., and R. W. McDiarmid. 1993. <i>Phyllorhynchus decurtatus</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 580.1-580.7.
  9. McDiarmid, R. W., and R. J. R. McCleary. 1993. <i>Phyllorhynchus</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 579.1-579.5.
  10. Stebbins, R. C. 1954a. Amphibians and reptiles of western North America. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
  11. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  12. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.