Care Sheet - Long-Nosed Snake

Scientific name
Rhinocheilus lecontei
Subspecies
Mexican Long-nosed Snake, Rhinocheilus lecontei antonii Dugs, 1886
Isla Cerralvo Long-nosed Snake, Rhinocheilus lecontei etheridgei
Grismer, 1990
Western Long-nosed Snake, Rhinocheilus lecontei lecontei Baird &
Girard, 1853
Texas Long-nosed Snake, Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus Garman, 1883
Habitat
From South-west America to South-Mexico (Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, to Mexico) dry and open prairies, bush areas.
Crepuscular and nocturnal
Description
Long-nosed Snakes are distinguished by a long, slightly upturned snout, which is
the origin of their name. They are tricolour, vaguely resembling a coral snake with
black and red saddling that almost looks like banding, on a yellow or creamcolored accenting, which can look somewhat like yellow banding. Cream-colored
spots within the black saddles are a distinct characteristic of the Long-nosed
Snake. They differ from all other harmless snakes in the United States by having
undivided subcaudal plates. They average around 30 inches (76 cm) in length

Size
55-100 cm
Life Expectancy
Over 20 years
Reproduction
4-9 eggs. Incubation period at 28C about 60-90 days.
Temperature
Air temperature between 25-28C, natural temps up to 33C. Night down to about
23-25C.
Humidity
50-60%
Lighting
Daylight fluorescent tubes e.g. "Natural Sunlight" or "Zoo Med ReptiSun 2.0"
Substrate
Loose, absorptive substrate i.e. Aspen. A good 2 of substrate should be used as
this
species likes it to dig itself in.
Dcor
Climbing facilities branches etc., various hiding places and a water bowl make up
the basic configuration of the
vivarium.
Food
Small rodents (pinkie mice and rats), also lizards, their eggs and other small
snakes
Comments
The Long-nosed Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei) is a species of nonvenomous
Colubrid snake. It is the only species in the genus Rhinocheilus, but has four
recognized subspecies, though more modern research has cast some doubt on
that classification. Its specific name commemorates John Eatton Le Conte (18181891).
Long-nosed Snakes are shy, nocturnal burrowing snakes. They spend most of
their time buried underground. They feed on lizards, amphibians, and sometimes
smaller snakes and infrequently rodents. They are oviparous, laying clutches of
4-9 eggs in the early summer, which hatch out in the late summer or early fall.
They are not apt to bite, but will release a foul smelling musk and blood from their
cloaca as a defence mechanism if harassed.
John Gamesby