Description: A fast, moderately-sized slender striped snake with smooth scales, large eyes, and an enlarged rostral (the scale over the tip of the snout.) There are 9 upper labial scales, usually only the sixth one reaches the eye. The loreal scale is divided into 2 - 4 scales. The conspicuously enlarged rostral and middorsal stripe differentiate this snake from all other species in its range. Well-camouflaged, this snake is gray to brown with dark brown sides (without any light stripes) and a broad yellow or tan stripe down the middle of the back (which is narrower than the stripe found on other subspecies of patch-nosed snakes). The underside is cream colored, sometimes shading to pale orange at the tail end. The sides may be dark on all but the lowermost 1 or 2 scale rows. The top of the head is brown. The width of the pale middorsal stripe is usually 1 full scale bordered by 2 half scales.

Habitat: Inhabits semi-arid brushy areas and chaparral in canyons, rocky hillsides, and plains.

Range: Coast Patch-nosed Snake, occurs in California from the northern Carrizo Plains in San Luis Obispo County, south through the coastal zone, south and west of the deserts, into coastal northern Baja California.

Found in these States: CA

Diet: Eats mostly lizards, especially whiptails, along with small mammals, and possibly small snakes, nestling birds, reptile eggs, and amphibians.

Reproduction: Females are oviparous, laying 4-12 eggs, probably between May and August.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large and relatively stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size. No major threats exist for this species.

Taxonomy: