Vertebrate Natural History: Snake Faces

Snake Faces

Different snake species will have different facial scales. Get familar with terms such as Supraocular scales, Subocular scales, Upper Labials, Lower Labials, Frontal scales and Rostral scales (see scale chart in field guide).

	*Agkistrodon contortrix* The Facial Scales of the Southern Copperhead. Notice the heat pits and the vertical pupil.
*Agkistrodon piscivorus* Western Cottonmouth.
	*Nerodia rhombifer* The Facial Scales of the Diamondback Water Snake. Looks very similar to the Mississippi Green Water Snake but the Mississippi Green Water Snake has a subocular scale, the Diamondback Water Snake doesn't.
*Bogertophis subocularis* Notice the Subocular Scales of this Trans-pecos Rat Snake.
	*Coluber constrictor* Yellow Belly Racers are diurnal snake. They have an enlarged supraocular scale. This enlarged scale help to shade their eyes from the sun when they are out hunting lizards.

*Drymarchon corais* Indigo Snake
	*Nerodia fasicata* The facial expression of the Nerodia genus, it look like they are smiling at you. Large upper labial scales.


*Heterodon platirhinos* Hognose snakes have a specialized Rostral that is upturned. Its used to help the snake dig in loose soil.

	Lampropeltis triangulum The Milk Snake. Notice that this snake has no subocular scale.

Leptotyphlops dulcis The Texas Blind Snake. It has "three scales between oculars" (Conant and Collins 1998).

	*Pituophis catenifer* The Bullsnake (Gopher snake) has an enlarged upper labial scale in between two subocular scales. They also have 4 prefrontal scales. (Werler and Dixon 2000).
Salvadora grahamiae Texas Patchnose Snake has a specialized rostral scale that "may faciliate digging in loose sand" (Conant and Collins 1998).

	*Sonora semiannulata* The Ground Snake has "a loreal scale" that "separates second labial from prefrontal scale" (Contant and Collins 1998).
*Thamnophis marcianus* The facial scales of the Checkered Garter Snake
	*Pseudelaphe bairdi* The Baird's Rat Snake (not required to know). The snake formerly known as Elaphe bairdi.
*Crotalus atrox* The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, notice the heat pits.
	*Pantherophis guttata* Great Plains Rat Snake
*Crotalus horridus* The Timber Rattlesnake of East Texas.