California whipsnake

The California whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis), also known as the striped racer, is a colubrid snake found in habitats of the coast, desert, and foothills of California.

California whipsnake
Masticophis lateralis lateralis, chaparral whipsnake subspecies
Conservation status
Apparently Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Serpentes
Family:	Colubridae
Genus:	Masticophis
Species:	M. lateralis
Binomial name
Masticophis lateralis (Hallowell, 1853)
Synonyms[1][2]
Leptophis lateralis Hallowell, 1853 Zamenis lateralis — Cope, 1898 Coluber lateralis — Stejneger & Barbour, 1917 Masticophis lateralis — Riemer, 1954

Description

Masticophis lateralis is 90–120 centimetres (3.0–3.9 ft) in total length (including tail). It is slender, with a yellowish stripe along each side, set against a dark brown or black back.^[3]

Eating a Southern Pacific rattlesnake.

Diet

The California whipsnake is known to eat a variety of live animals including insects, lizards, snakes, birds, and small mammals.^[3][4] It shows a strong preference for lizards, which are captured by a grasp of the mouth,^[4] and swallowed alive.

Behavior

Masticophis lateralis is fast-moving, diurnal, and an active forager. It commonly moves over and through brush and trees to avoid predation and to capture prey.^[4] The California whipsnake has been observed moving into the top of scrub plants after emerging from nightly retreats to gain access to direct sunlight before the sunlight reaches ground level. It is not venomous, but likely to strike if captured.

Taxonomy

As with many species and subspecies, taxonomic reclassification is an ongoing process, and differing sources often disagree. The genus Masticophis may soon be absorbed by the closely related genus Coluber, which contains the racer (Coluber constrictor).

Subspecies

Masticophis lateralis has two subspecies:^[3]

• M. l. lateralis (Hallowell, 1853) — chaparral whipsnake

The chaparral whipsnake is a common subspecies in California and northern Baja California, Mexico. The subspecies is often associated with broken (variable) habitat types that range from northwestern to extreme southern California and further south into Northwestern Mexico.

• M. l. euryxanthus Riemer, 1954 — Alameda whipsnake

The Alameda whipsnake subspecies is endemic to California. The subspecies is considered threatened there. Its range is relatively small, and much of the subspecies' habitat is threatened by development. It was first collected by Archie Mossman and later described by Riemer in 1954. The Alameda Whipsnake is a threatened species of colubrid snake distinguishable by its broad head, large eyes, black and orange coloring with a yellow stripe down each side, and a slender neck. The Alameda Whipsnake is a wary creature known for its speed and climbing abilities utilized when escaping predators or hunting prey.^[4][5][6]

Alameda whipsnake subspecies, Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Masticophis.

Habitat and geographic range

The California whipsnake, M. lateralis, has a range from Trinity County, California, west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to northwestern Baja California, at altitudes between 0–2,250 metres (0–7,382 ft) and is known to use a wide variety of habitat types including the California coast and in the foothills, the chaparral of northern Baja, mixed deciduous and pine forests of the Sierra de Juárez, and deserts and canyons of Sierra San Pedro.^[7]

The geographic range of the Alameda whipsnake subspecies is contiguous in the area of southern Alameda County, northern Santa Clara County, and western San Joaquin County, in the southeastern Bay Area of Northern California.^[8] It has commonly been reported as having a more specific association with chaparral and scrub plant communities as the habitat where it is most commonly found.^[4][9][10]

The geographic range of the chaparral whipsnake subspecies has been reported to include woodlands, grasslands, chaparral scrublands, and riparian habitats.^{[4][11] [12]}