Eastern Patch-nosed Snake

Eastern Patch-nosed Snake

Salvadora grahamiae

Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Saguaro National Park

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%

7 Verified sightings at Saguaro National Park From 2019 to 2026
23 In all 3 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Eastern 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.

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

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). 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.

S. grahamiae preys predominately upon lizards, especially those of the genus Aspidoscelis. It also eats reptile eggs, small snakes, nestling birds, and small mammals. S. grahamiae is oviparous. Eggs are laid in April–June, and... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Phoenix Zoo 🇺🇸 United States In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Eastern Patch-nosed Snake in Saguaro National Park?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Patch-nosed Snake sighting in Saguaro National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 45th most-seen of the 51 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Eastern Patch-nosed Snake in Saguaro National Park?

February, April–May and October–November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Eastern Patch-nosed Snake in Saguaro National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, June–September and December–January, the lowest months. Those are among Saguaro National Park's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 55 mm in July.

What time of day is best to see an Eastern Patch-nosed Snake?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Eastern Patch-nosed Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Saguaro National Park the best place to see an Eastern Patch-nosed Snake?

3rd of 3

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Eastern Patch-nosed Snake sightings, Saguaro National Park ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Guadalupe Mountains National Park (United States, about 20%) and Big Bend National Park (United States, about 10%).

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

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Eastern Patch-nosed Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Saguaro National Park (7 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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