The California whipsnake (''Masticophis lateralis''), also known as the striped racer, is a

colubrid Colubridae (, commonly known as colubrids , from la, coluber, 'snake') is a family of snakes. With 249 genera, it is the largest snake family. The earliest species of the family date back to the Oligocene epoch. Colubrid snakes are found on ever ...

snake found in habitats of the coast, desert, and foothills of

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Description

''Masticophis lateralis'' is in total length (including tail). It is slender, with a yellowish stripe along each side, set against a dark brown or black back.

Diet

The California whipsnake is known to eat a variety of live animals including insects, lizards, snakes, birds, and small mammals.Swaim KE (1994). ''Aspects of the Ecology of the Alameda Whipsnake'' (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus). Upublished Master's Thesis, California State University, Hayward. 140 pp. It shows a strong preference for lizards, which are captured by a grasp of the mouth, 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. 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 In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

: Stebbins RC (2003). ''A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition''. The Peterson Field Guide Series ®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. xiii + 533 pp., 56 plates. . (''Masticophis lateralis'', pp. 353-354 + Plate 43 + Map 37). *''M. l. lateralis'' — 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'' — Alameda whipsnake :The Alameda whipsnake subspecies is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

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.Alvarez JA (2006). "''Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus'' (Alameda Whipsnake) habitat". ''Herpetological Review'' 37: 233.

Nota bene (, or ; plural form ) is a Latin phrase meaning "note well". It is often abbreviated as NB, n.b., or with the ligature and first appeared in English writing . In Modern English, it is used, particularly in legal papers, to draw the atten ...

'': 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 Trinity County is a List of counties in California, county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California. Trinity County is rugged, mountainous, heavily forested, and lies along the Trinity River (California), Trinity River ...

, west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to northwestern

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

, at altitudes between 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. The geographic range of the Alameda whipsnake subspecies is contiguous in the area of southern

Alameda County Alameda County ( ) is a List of counties in California, county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and List ...

, northern

Santa Clara County Santa Clara County, officially the County of Santa Clara, is the sixth-most populous county in the U.S. state of California, with a population of 1,936,259, as of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Santa Clara County and neighboring Sa ...

, and western

San Joaquin County San Joaquin County (; Spanish language, Spanish: ''San Joaquín'', meaning "Joachim, St. Joachim"), officially the County of San Joaquin, is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 20 ...

, in the southeastern Bay Area of

Northern California Northern California (colloquially known as NorCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California. Spanning the state's northernmost 48 counties, its main population centers incl ...

. 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. The geographic range of the chaparral whipsnake subspecies has been reported to include woodlands,

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

s, chaparral scrublands, and

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...

habitats.Ortenburger, Arthur Irving (1923). ''Whipsnakes and Racers: Genera'' Masticophis ''and'' Coluber. Norwood, Massachusetts: Plimpton Press. 247 pp. Alvarez, pers. obs.

References

External links

USGS Western Ecological Research Center — ''Masticophis lateralis''

The Nature Conservancy: ''Masticophis lateralis''
— ''(Alameda Whipsnake)''. *[https://web.archive.org/web/20071014191732/http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/m.l.euryxanthus.html CaliforniaHerps.com: ''Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus'' — Alameda Striped Racer (Alameda whipsnake)]
CaliforniaHerps.com: ''Masticophis lateralis lateralis'' — California Striped Racer (Chaparral whipsnake)