Ordinary coachman whip snake
| Ordinary coachman whip snake | ||||||||||||
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Common coachman whip snake ( Coluber flagellum ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Coluber flagellum | ||||||||||||
| Shaw , 1802 |
The common coachman whip snake ( Coluber flagellum , syn .: Masticophis flagellum ) is a non-poisonous snake , which has six subspecies. The subspecies Coluber flagellum ruddocki was placed under protection in California because of the endangerment of its species .
distribution
The adders are native to the southern United States and northern Mexico . They live in sparse forests and on the edge of steppes and semi-deserts.
description
The small, slightly rounded head, with the large eyes and the round pupils, hardly separates from the neck. The yellow iris surrounds the dark pupil. The color of the scales varies in different shades of brown and gray. A full-grown common coachman whip snake can reach a length of over 160 cm.
behavior
The diurnal snake feeds mainly on lizards, small rodents or birds. Sometimes it also feeds on other snakes. The common coachman whip snake mates in spring. The female lays the eight to 16 eggs in a shallow earth hollow. After about 60 days, the approximately 30 cm long snakes hatch. The young adders feed on small animals and insects for the first time. The snake can live up to 18 years.
Subspecies
Six subspecies of the common coachman whip snake are distinguished:
- Coluber flagellum cingulum Lowe & Woodin, 1954
- Coluber flagellum flagellum Shaw , 1802
- Coluber flagellum lineatulus Smith , 1941
- Coluber flagellum piceus ( Cope , 1892)
- Coluber flagellum ruddocki Brattstrom & Warren, 1953
- Coluber flagellum testaceus Say , 1823
The formerly known as C. f. fuliginosus ( Cope , 1895) were recognized by Grismer in 1994 as a separate species Coluber fuliginosus .
swell
Web links
- Masticophis flagellum inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Posted by: Hammerson, GA, Frost, DR, Santos-Barrera, G., Vasquez Díaz, J. & Quintero Díaz, GE, 2007. Retrieved January 5, 2014.