Striped racer
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.
The California whipsnake belongs to the largest snake family that is found on every continent except Antarctica. It is slender, with a yellowish stripe along each side, set against a dark brown or black back.
California whipsnakes occur from Trinity County, California, west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to northwestern Baja California. They live in 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 semi-deserts and canyons of Sierra San Pedro. These snakes can also be found in woodlands, grasslands, and riparian habitats.
These are fast-moving, diurnal, and active foragers. They usually move over and through brush and trees to avoid predation and to capture prey. California whipsnakes may even move into the top of scrub plants after emerging from nightly retreats to gain access to direct sunlight before the sunlight reaches ground level. Despite being not venomous, they may strike if captured. California whipsnakes are aggressive and lead a solitary lifestyle.
California whipsnakes are carnivores and eat a variety of live animals including insects, lizards, snakes, birds, and small mammals. They especially adore hunting lizards, which are captured by a grasp of the mouth and swallowed alive.
California whipsnakes breed in spring after hibernation. Females lay about 6 to 11 eggs which hatch in about 2 to 3 months.
There are no major threats to this species at present. Locally some populations suffer from habitat loss due to urbanization.
According to IUCN Red List, the total population size of the California whipsnake is unknown but probably exceeds 100,000 individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are stable.
