I included both subspecies that occur in Eddy county (H.n.nasicus and H.n.kennerlyi) because I feel that most are intergrades of each other.  I never did scale counts and only have the pictures of different ones I've found.  They are somewhat common in Eddy county, although most I have found have been DOR.  They are active in early morning and at dusk when the temperatures have cooled off a bit.  They have a varied diet in the wild, but toads are chief prey.  They also eat rodents, snakes, lizards, reptile eggs, and other things I'm sure.  They are one of my favorite snakes and hope to have one in my collection sometime.  They're not a long snake, but are stout for their length.  24" is usually max adult length, although I have seen a monster over 36".  They are excellent bluffers...spreading their neck like a cobra, hissing, mock strikes, tail curling, and ultimately feigning death.  The last picture is one that I found DOR in Dark Canyon in the Guadalupe mountains.


                                                   

    Range Map                          Range Map                       kennerlyi                          nasicus                            dor hog
    Hnnasicus                            Hnkennerlyi

 Range
 Expected Range