The California Whipsnake, Masticophis lateralis, and also known as the Striped Racer, is a colubrid snake. It is found in habitats of the coast, desert, and foothills of California.
Comments: Habitats include chaparral foothills, shrublands with scattered grassy patches, rocky canyons and watercourses, oases in drier regions, mixed deciduous and pine woodlands in the mountains, and semidesert (in Baja California) (Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003). This snake retreats underground or under cover when inactive. It lays eggs probably most often in abandoned rodent burrows, perhaps also in other protected sites underground or under imbedded objects.
Taxonomy:family | Colubridae |
---|---|
Iucn status | Least_Concern |