The Striped Whipsnake is a species of colubrid snake that is native to the Western United States and parts of North-Western Mexico.
This is a non-venomous species of snake that can grow anywhere between 3-6 feet in length.
These snakes are often confused with other snakes within their range due to similarities in appearances such as the California Whipsnake.
Striped Whipsnake Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The Striped Whipsnake belongs to the Colubridae or Colubrid family of snakes. This is the largest family of Snakes in the world consisting of many popular species such as Pine Snakes and Milk Snakes.
With around 250 different genera of Colubrids, these snakes can be found on every continent except Antarctica which also makes them the most widely distributed family of snake in the world.
The vast majority of Colubrid snakes are non-venomous, or at least contain a venom that isn’t considered to be medically significant to humans.
However, there are a number of species of Colubrid snakes that contain venom capable of killing humans. This includes species from the Boiga and Rhabdophis genera as well as other snakes such as the Boomslang.
Genus
The genus that the Striped Whipsnake belongs to is called Masticophis. The species in this genus are commonly referred to as Whip Snakes.
The species in this genus have a distinctive bell-shaped frontal scale. The frontal scale is the large scale in the center of the snakes head.
For a long time, this species was classified under the Coluber genus before it was moved to Masticophis in 1985.
Species
The scientific name for the Striped Whipsnake is Masticophis taeniatus and there are currently two recognised sub-species.
The two sub-species are the Central Texas Whipsnake and the Desert Striped Whipsnake.
The species was first described in 1852 by an American herpetologist named Edward Hallowell.
Striped Whipsnake Description
The Striped Whipsnake is a slender species of snake with adults typically growing to around 3-6 feet in length.
The background color of the snake is typically dark brown to grey and they have a number of light stripes on either side of the snake.
These stripes are usually white or cream in color but can also be yellow. They have smooth scales and a light-colored belly.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Striped Whipsnake can be found throughout most of the Western United States and Northern Mexico.
In the United States, these snakes can be found in places such as California, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona.
Their range extends further inland to places such as Colorado, New Mexico and Texas.
They can be found throughout a large part of Northern Mexico in regions such as Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Durango.
These snakes can be found in a variety of different habitats including open woodlands, mountainous terrain, desert scrub and grassland.
Striped Whipsnake Behaviour
The Striped Whipsnake is a fast and very alert species of snake. This can make them hard to see at times as they will usually flee if they feel threatened.
They will seek refuge in a variety of different places including in burrows or rock crevices.
Their diet consists primarily of amphibians, smaller snakes and lizards. However, they are also known to eat baby birds, bird eggs and rodents.
