Western Patch-nosed Snake

Western Patch-nosed Snake

Salvadora hexalepis

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability ~30% · Possible
at Death Valley National Park

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

30 Verified sightings at Death Valley National Park From 2019 to 2026
204 In all 6 parks
April Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Western Patch-nosed Snake

Salvadora hexalepis, the western patch-nosed snake, is a species of non-venomous colubrid snake, which is endemic to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is found in the southwestern United States in the states of Arizona, southern California, Nevada, southern New Mexico, and southwestern Texas. It is also found in northern Mexico in the Mexican states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, and Sonora.

The western patch-nosed snake inhabits arid deserts in its area. It feeds upon lizards, snakes, reptile eggs, and small rodents. 4-10 eggs are laid during spring or early summer and hatch in August through... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
2 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
4 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Mesa 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Phoenix 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Western Patch-nosed Snake in Death Valley National Park?

Possible

About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Western Patch-nosed Snake sighting in Death Valley National Park on a given day, based on 30 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 30 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Western Patch-nosed Snake in Death Valley National Park?

April and July–August

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Western Patch-nosed Snake in Death Valley National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and September, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Western Patch-nosed Snake?

Between 8 and 11 am

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Western Patch-nosed Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Death Valley National Park the best place to see a Western Patch-nosed Snake?

Yes

Of the 6 parks where we can rate Western Patch-nosed Snake sightings, Death Valley National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Joshua Tree National Park (United States, about 20%) and El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve (Mexico, about 20%).

Which relatives of the Western Patch-nosed Snake live in Death Valley National Park?

Same family: Colubridae

The closest relatives of the Western Patch-nosed Snake that you can see in Death Valley National Park (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Coachwhip (about 30%), Gopher Snake (about 30%) and Long-nosed Snake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Western Patch-nosed Snake sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Western Patch-nosed Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Death Valley National Park (30 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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