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.
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).
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.
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.
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 (0–7,382ft) 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, northern Santa Clara County, and western San Joaquin County, in the southeastern Bay Area of Northern California. 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.
Within these habitats the California whipsnake spends a majority of its time in rocky subterrain. This area provides it with shelter from predators and quick access to food sources such as lizards.
The geographic range of the chaparral whipsnake subspecies has been reported to include woodlands, grasslands, chaparral scrublands, and riparian habitats.
Masticophis lateralis is 90–120 centimetres (3.0–3.9ft) in total length (including tail). It is slender, with a yellowish stripe along each side, set against a dark brown or black back.
The California whipsnake is known to eat a variety of live animals including insects, lizards, snakes, birds, and small mammals. 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.
Reproduction
The California whipsnake mates during the spring after they complete their hibernation that spans from November to February. A typical, California whipsnake produces a clutch of six to eleven eggs, that require a maturation period of 3 months. After birth the brood is left to their own devices, as the parent snakes pay little to no attention to them.
Threats
In 1997, the California whipsnake was listed as an endangered species. Its most common threat is urbanization as it has inhabited many densely populated counties across California and mostly the Bay Area. Urbanization presents individual threats that result in population decline. Whipsnakes can experience injury or death via unperceived predators such as cats or vehicles. Their habitats can also be altered by fire enforcement. This process works to eliminate the danger of fire in certain habitats. Fire can be very beneficial to California whipsnakes, as it naturally resets their ecosystem with new growth after a burn.
References
↑Stejneger L, Barbour T (1917). A Check List of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. 125 pp. (Coluber lateralis, p. 80).
↑"Masticophis lateralis ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
123Stebbins 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. ISBN978-0-395-98272-3. (Masticophis lateralis, pp. 353-354 + Plate 43 + Map 37).
1234567Swaim KE (1994). Aspects of the Ecology of the Alameda Whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus). Upublished Master's Thesis, California State University, Hayward. 140 pp.
↑Alvarez JA (2005). "A compilation of observations of Alameda Whipsnake outside of typical habitat". Transactions of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society41: 21-25.
↑Jennings MR (1983). "Masticophis lateralis (Hallowel), Striped racer". Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.
↑Swaim KE, McGinnis SM (1992). "Habitat associations of the Alameda whipsnake". Transactions of the Western Section of The Wildlife Society28: 107-111.
1234United States Fish and Wildlife Service (2002). Draft recovery plan for chaparral and scrub community species east of San Francisco Bay, California. Portland, Oregon. xvi + 306 pp.
↑Ortenburger, Arthur Irving (1923). Whipsnakes and Racers: Genera Masticophis and Coluber. Norwood, Massachusetts: Plimpton Press. 247 pp.
Hallowell E (1853). "On some New Reptiles from California". Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia6: 236–238. (Leptophis lateralis, new species, p.237).
Riemer, William J. (1954). "A new subspecies of the snake Masticophis lateralis ". Copeia1954 (1): 45–48. (Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus, new subspecies).
Schmidt, Karl P.; Davis, D. Dwight (1941). Field Book of Snakes of the United States and Canada. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. 365 pp., 34 plates, 103 figures. (Coluber lateralis, pp.127–129, Figure 30 + Plate 14).
Smith, Hobart M.; Brodie, Edmund D., Jr. (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN0-307-13666-3 (paperback), ISBN0-307-47009-1 (hardcover). (Masticophis lateralis, pp.190–191).
Wright, Albert Hazen; Wright, Anna Allen (1957). Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Ithaca and London: Comstock Publishing Associates, a division of Cornell University Press. 1,105 pp. (in two volumes). (Masticophis lateralis, pp.449–453, Figure 134 + Map 36 on p.424).
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