{"elementGlobalId":104596,"circumscripConfidence":{"id":1,"circumscripConfidenceDescEn":"1 - Strong","circumscripConfidenceDescEs":"1 - Fuerte","circumscripConfidenceDescFr":"1 – Forte"},"classificationLevel":{"id":7,"classificationLevelNameEn":"Species","classificationLevelNameEs":"Especies","classificationLevelNameFr":"Espèce"},"classificationStatus":{"id":1,"classificationStatusDescEn":"Standard","classificationStatusDescEs":"Estándar","classificationStatusDescFr":"Standard"},"iucn":{"id":11,"iucnDescEn":"Least concern","iucnDescEs":"Menos preocupante","iucnDescFr":"Moins préoccupante","iucnCode":"LC"},"nameCategory":{"id":1,"nameCategoryDescEn":"Vertebrate Animal","nameCategoryDescEs":"Animal vertebrado","nameCategoryDescFr":"Animal vertébré","nameTypeCd":"A","nameTypeDesc":"Zoological"},"rankMethodUsed":null,"formattedScientificName":"<i>Phyllorhynchus decurtatus</i>","scientificName":"Phyllorhynchus decurtatus","scientificNameAuthor":"(Cope, 1868)","primaryCommonName":"Spotted Leaf-nosed Snake","relatedItisNames":"<i>Phyllorhynchus decurtatus</i> (Cope, 1868) (TSN 174261)","uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104596","elcode":"ARADB25020","conceptRefFullCitation":"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.","conceptName":"<i>Phyllorhynchus decurtatus</i>","taxonomicComments":"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 <i>P. decurtatus</i> and concluded that the named subspecies do not warrant recognition.","roundedGRank":"G5","conservationStatusFactorsEditionDate":"2005-12-13","conservationStatusFactorsEditionAuthors":"Hammerson, G.","primaryCommonNameLanguage":"EN","recordType":"SPECIES","elementNationals":[{"elementNationalId":165921,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":225,"nameEn":"United States","nameEs":"Estados Unidos","nameFr":"États-Unis","isoCode":"US","region":"United States"},"roundedNRank":"N5","elementSubnationals":[{"elementSubnationalId":382297,"subnation":{"id":6,"nameEn":"Arizona","nameEs":"Arizona","nameFr":"Arizona","subnationCode":"AZ","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S5","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S5","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":382297,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":280971,"subnation":{"id":7,"nameEn":"California","nameEs":"California","nameFr":"Californie","subnationCode":"CA","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"SNR","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"SNR","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":280971,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":355670,"subnation":{"id":52,"nameEn":"Utah","nameEs":"Utah","nameFr":"Utah","subnationCode":"UT","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S1","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S1","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":355670,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":357079,"subnation":{"id":40,"nameEn":"Nevada","nameEs":"Nevada","nameFr":"Nevada","subnationCode":"NV","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S4","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S4","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":357079,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"nrankReviewYear":1996,"nrank":"N5","speciesNational":{"elementNationalId":165921,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"lastModified":"2026-10-02T21:44:01.8901Z","lastPublished":"2026-10-02T21:32:08.892226Z","promotionalDescription":null,"conceptLineageSummary":null,"nsxUrl":"/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104596/Phyllorhynchus_decurtatus","grankAdjustmentReasons":null,"grankChangeDate":"1996-10-30","grankReviewDate":"2005-12-13","grankReasons":null,"grank":"G5","rankInfo":{"elementGlobalId":104596,"aooPercentGood":null,"enviromentalSpecificity":null,"intrinsicVulnerability":{"id":4,"intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEn":"Moderately vulnerable","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescEs":"Moderadamente vulnerable","intrinsicVulnerabilityDescFr":"Moyennement vulnérable"},"longTermTrend":{"id":38,"longTermTrendDescEn":"Decline of <30% to increase of 25%","longTermTrendDescEs":"Disminución de <30% a aumento de 25%.","longTermTrendDescFr":"Diminution de <30 % à augmentation de 25 %"},"numberEos":{"id":14,"numberEosDescEn":"81 to >300","numberEosDescEs":"De 81 a >300","numberEosDescFr":"De 81 à >300"},"numberGoodEos":{"id":20,"numberGoodEosDescEn":"Many to very many (41 to >125)","numberGoodEosDescEs":"Muchos a muy muchos (41 a >125)","numberGoodEosDescFr":"De plusieurs à beaucoup (de 41 à >125)"},"numberProtEos":{"id":14,"numberProtEosDescEn":"Many to very many (13 to >40) occurrences appropriately protected and managed","numberProtEosDescEs":"De varios a muchos casos (13 a >40) adecuadamente protegidos y controlados","numberProtEosDescFr":"De plusieurs à beaucoup d’occurrences (de 13 à >40) protégées et contrôlées convenablement"},"popSize":{"id":33,"popSizeDescEn":"10,000 to >1,000,000 individuals","popSizeDescEs":"De 10.000 a >1.000.000 de individuos","popSizeDescFr":"De 10 000 à >1 000 000 individus"},"rangeExtent":{"id":33,"rangeExtentDescEn":"200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)","rangeExtentDescEs":"200.000 a 2.500.000 kilómetros cuadrados (aproximadamente 80.000 a 1.000.000 millas cuadradas)","rangeExtentDescFr":"De 200 000 à 2 500 000 km carrés (de 80 000 à 1 000 000 miles carrés approximativement)"},"shortTermTrend":{"id":40,"shortTermTrendDescEn":"Relatively Stable (<=10% change)","shortTermTrendDescEs":"Relativamente estable (variación = <10%)","shortTermTrendDescFr":"Relativement stable (variation = <10 %)"},"threatImpactAssigned":{"id":10,"threatImpactAssignedDescEn":"Low","threatImpactAssignedDescEs":"Bajo","threatImpactAssignedDescFr":"Faible"},"rangeExtentComments":"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).","areaOfOccupancy":null,"areaOfOccupancyComments":null,"numberEosComments":"This species is represented by numerous occurrences or subpopulations (see map in McCleary and McDiarmid 1993).","popSizeComments":"Total adult population size is unknown but probably exceeds 100,000. This is a common snake in most of its range.","viabilityComments":null,"threatImpactComments":"No major threats are known.","shortTermTrendComments":"Extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size probably are relatively stable or declining at a rate of less than 10 percent over 10 years or three generations.","longTermTrendComments":null,"inventoryNeeds":null,"numberProtEosComments":"Many occurrences are in protected areas.","protectionNeeds":null,"otherConsiderations":"Most records are based on specimens found on roads.","intrinsicVulnerabilityComments":null,"enviromentalSpecificityComments":null},"animalCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":104596,"majorHabitat":{"id":3,"majorHabitatDescEn":"Terrestrial","majorHabitatDescEs":"Terrestre","majorHabitatDescFr":"Terrestre"},"nonMigrant":true,"localMigrant":false,"longDistanceMigrant":false,"mobilityMigrationComments":null,"foodHabitsComments":"Eats squamate eggs and small lizards (e.g., banded geckos, or just the tail) (Gardner and Mendelson 2003).","animalPhenologyComments":"Active at night; probably rests in burrows during the day. Inactive in cold temperatures and extreme heat. Above-ground activity seems to peak in June in Arizona, in May-June in southern California.","colonialBreeder":false,"length":51,"width":null,"weight":null,"animalPhenologies":[{"animalCagPhenologyId":103017,"animalPhenology":{"id":1,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Hibernates/aestivates","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Hibernación/Estivación","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Hiberne/estive","displayOrder":1},"adult":true,"immature":true},{"animalCagPhenologyId":103018,"animalPhenology":{"id":4,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Nocturnal","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Nocturno","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Nocturne","displayOrder":4},"adult":true,"immature":true}],"animalFoodHabits":[{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":105581,"foodHabits":{"id":1,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Carnivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Carnívoro","foodHabitsDescFr":"Carnivore","displayOrder":1},"adult":true,"immature":true}]},"occurrenceDelineations":[{"eoSpecsDetailId":1142,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"eoSpecGroupName":"Medium And Large Colubrid Snakes","subtypes":null,"inferredExtentDistance":0.5,"inferredExtentNotes":null,"minimumEoCriteria":"Occurrences are based on evidence of historical presence, or current and likely recurring presence, at a given location. Such evidence minimally includes collection or reliable observation and documentation of one or more individuals (including eggs) in or near appropriate habitat where the species is presumed to be established and  breeding.","mappingGuidance":null,"separationBarriers":"Busy highway or highway with obstructions such that snakes rarely if ever cross successfully; major river, lake, pond, or deep marsh (this barrier pertains only to upland species and does not apply to aquatic or wetland snakes); densely urbanized area dominated by buildings and pavement.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":1.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":10.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"Available information on movements of colubrid snakes is limited to a small minority of species. These data indicate that nearly all species have home ranges smaller or much smaller than 25 ha (e.g., less than 3 ha, <i>Pituophis catenifer</i> in California, Rodriguez-Robles 2003), with some up to about 75 ha (<i>Heterodon platirhinos</i>, average 50 ha, Plummer and Mills 2000), and the largest up to 225 ha in the biggest colubrids (<i>Drymarchon</i>, summer mean 50-100 ha, USFWS 1998). <br><br>Radiotelemetry data for <i>Pantherophis </i>indicate that residents of hibernacula that are 1-2 km apart (with suitable intervening habitat) probably interbreed (Prior et al. 1997, Blouin-Demers and Weatherhead 2002). However, \"evidence of genetic structure even over short distances (e.g., 2-20 km) implies that gene flow among rat snake populations can be easily disrupted\" (Prior et al. 1997). Loughheed et al. (1999) found evidence of substantial genetic exchange among local hibernacula (< 6 km apart), but gene flow over distances of 10s of km appears to be substantially less. Based on extensive radio-tracking data, Blouin-Demers and Weatherhead (2002) found that home range size of <i>Pantherophis </i>averaged 18.5 ha and ranged up to 93 ha; based on the most mobile individuals, <i>Pantherophis </i>from hibernacula up to 8 km apart can come together for mating. <i>Pantherophis </i>and probably other colubrids exhibit high fidelity to hibernacula and shift even to nearby sites only rarely (Prior et al. 2001). <br><br>Many of the several studies that report small home ranges for colubrids did not employ methods (e.g., radio telemetry) suitable for detecting full annual or multi-annual home range size, dispersal, or other long-distance movements, so these may have yielded underestimates of home ranges or activity areas.  <br><br>At least some colubrids, including medium-sized species such as garter snakes, not uncommonly move between areas up to a few kilometers apart, and several species make extensive movements of up to several kilometers, so separation distances of 1-2 km for suitable habitat are too small for medium-sized and large colubrids.<br><br>A separation distance of 10 km for suitable habitat was selected as most appropriate for snakes assigned to this Specs Group because it seems generally unlikely that two locations separated by less than 10 km of suitable habitat would represent distinct occurrences.<br><br>For the purposes of these occurrence specifications, upland habitat is regarded as unsuitable habitat for aquatic and wetland snakes. For upland snakes, shallow or patchy wetlands are treated as unsuitable habitat whereas large deepwater habitats (subjective determination) are barriers.","versionDate":"2013-02-12","versionAuthor":"Hammerson, G.","versionNotes":"Separation distance for suitable habitat was changed from 5 km to 10 km based on comments from Dale Jackson (12 Feb 2013).","lastModified":"2020-04-30T02:04:05.987846Z"}],"plantCharacteristics":null,"elementManagement":{"elementGlobalId":104596,"eoManagementGroupName":null,"stewardshipOverview":null,"impacts":null,"restorationPotential":null,"siteConservationPlansConsidered":null,"managementMethods":null,"monitoringMethods":null,"managementProgramContacts":null,"monitoringProgramContacts":null,"managementResearchPrograms":null,"managementResearchNeeds":null,"biologicalResearchNeeds":null,"additionalTopics":null},"occurrenceViabilities":[{"eoRankSpecsDetailId":106044,"eoRankSpecsGroupName":null,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"excellentViability":null,"goodViability":null,"fairViability":null,"poorViability":null,"viabilityJustification":"Use the Generic Guidelines for the Application of Occurrence Ranks (2008).<br>The Key for Ranking Species Occurrences Using the Generic Approach provides a step-wise process for implementing this method.","versionDate":null,"versionAuthor":null,"versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-05-14T02:27:02.573163Z"}],"references":[{"id":137372,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Behler and King","shortCitationYear":1979,"referenceCode":"B79BEH01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T14:38:24.173666Z"},{"id":137880,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Collins","shortCitationYear":1990,"referenceCode":"B90COL01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T14:38:15.579798Z"},{"id":621810,"citation":"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","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother","shortCitationYear":2008,"referenceCode":"B08CRO01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T14:38:20.142383Z"},{"id":722484,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother","shortCitationYear":2012,"referenceCode":"B12CRO01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:51.08501Z"},{"id":943912,"citation":"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]","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother","shortCitationYear":2017,"referenceCode":"B17CRO01EHUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:53.413199Z"},{"id":447526,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Gardner and Mendelson","shortCitationYear":2003,"referenceCode":"A03GAR03NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:12:25.460499Z"},{"id":447481,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Gardner and Mendelson","shortCitationYear":2004,"referenceCode":"A04GAR01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:22:58.595196Z"},{"id":155174,"citation":"McCleary, R. J. R., and R. W. McDiarmid. 1993. <i>Phyllorhynchus decurtatus</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 580.1-580.7.","shortCitationAuthor":"McCleary and McDiarmid","shortCitationYear":1993,"referenceCode":"A93MCC05NAUS","lastModified":"2020-11-11T02:13:11.208824Z"},{"id":146154,"citation":"McDiarmid, R. W., and R. J. R. McCleary. 1993. <i>Phyllorhynchus</i>. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 579.1-579.5.","shortCitationAuthor":"McDiarmid and McCleary","shortCitationYear":1993,"referenceCode":"A93MCD02NAUS","lastModified":"2020-11-11T02:02:07.402592Z"},{"id":125870,"citation":"Stebbins, R. C. 1954a. Amphibians and reptiles of western North America. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.","shortCitationAuthor":"Stebbins","shortCitationYear":1954,"referenceCode":"B54STE01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:12:30.272961Z"},{"id":144435,"citation":"Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.","shortCitationAuthor":"Stebbins","shortCitationYear":1985,"referenceCode":"B85STE01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:51.08501Z"},{"id":266629,"citation":"Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.","shortCitationAuthor":"Stebbins","shortCitationYear":2003,"referenceCode":"B03STE01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:51.08501Z"}],"otherCommonNames":[{"id":117465,"name":"Spotted Leafnose Snake","language":"EN"}],"speciesGlobal":{"elementGlobalId":104596,"cites":null,"cosewic":null,"fwsRegion":null,"genusSize":{"id":2,"genusSizeDescEn":"Very small genus","genusSizeDescEs":"Un género muy pequeño","genusSizeDescFr":"Très petit genre"},"jurisEndem":{"id":5,"jurisEndemDescEn":"occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations","jurisEndemDescEs":"Se encuentra en varias naciones (de manera regular, como un taxón nativo)","jurisEndemDescFr":"Se trouve dans plusieurs nations (de façon régulière, tel un taxon indigène)"},"nomenclaturallyEst":null,"usesa":null,"informalTaxonomy":{"informalTaxonomyId":7,"level1":"Animals","level2":"Vertebrates","level3":"Reptiles","level":3,"hasChildren":false,"parentId":2,"distributionStatus":"complete","displayOrder":1100},"parentSpecies":null,"infraspecies":false,"kingdom":"Animalia","phylum":"Craniata","taxclass":"Reptilia","taxorder":"Squamata","family":"Colubridae","genus":"Phyllorhynchus","americanFisheriesStatus":null,"americanFisheriesStatusDate":null,"saraStatus":null,"saraStatusDate":null,"cosewicDate":null,"interpretedCosewic":null,"cosewicComments":null,"usesaDate":null,"interpretedUsesa":null,"usesaComments":null,"completeDistribution":true,"synonyms":[],"infraspeciesList":[{"infraspeciesId":100224,"uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100224","formattedScientificName":"<i>Phyllorhynchus decurtatus nubilis</i>","scientificName":"Phyllorhynchus decurtatus nubilis","primaryCommonName":"Clouded Leafnose Snake","nsxUrl":null},{"infraspeciesId":105297,"uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105297","formattedScientificName":"<i>Phyllorhynchus decurtatus perkinsi</i>","scientificName":"Phyllorhynchus decurtatus perkinsi","primaryCommonName":"Western Leafnose Snake","nsxUrl":null}],"ebarId":null,"ebarCanadianScope":false,"ebarGlobalScope":false,"ebarKbaGroup":"Amphibians and Reptiles","caGeneralStatusId":null},"speciesCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":104596,"reproductionComments":"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.","ecologyComments":null,"habitatComments":"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).","generalDescription":"See McCleary and McDiarmid (1993).","diagnosticCharacteristics":"See McCleary and McDiarmid (1993).","speciesMarineHabitats":[],"speciesTerrestrialHabitats":[{"cagTerrHabId":-111064,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":11,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Desert","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Desierto","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Désert","displayOrder":13}}],"speciesRiverineHabitats":[],"speciesPalustrineHabitats":[],"speciesLacustrineHabitats":[],"speciesSubterraneanHabitats":[],"speciesEstuarineHabitats":[]},"primaryReference":{"id":943912,"citation":"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]","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother","shortCitationYear":2017,"referenceCode":"B17CRO01EHUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:53.413199Z"},"predecessors":[],"elementGlobalThreatAssessments":[]}