Masticophis
Masticophis | |
---|---|
Western Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum testaceus | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Suborder: | Serpentes |
Family: | Colubridae |
Subfamily: | Colubrinae |
Genus: | Masticophis Baird & Girard, 1853 |
Species | |
9, see text. | |
Synonyms | |
Bascanion, Bascanium, Coluber, Coryphodon, Drymobius, Herpetodryas, Leptophis, Liophis, Natrix, Psammophis, Zamenis[1] |
Masticophis is a genus of colubrid snakes, commonly referred to as whip snakes or coachwhips, which are endemic to the Americas.[2] They are characterized by having a long, thin body and are not dangerous to humans.
Geographic range
Species of Masticophis are found in the United States, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.[2]
Description
Adults may attain total lengths from 152 cm (5 ft) for M. lateralis to 259 cm (8.5 ft) for M. flagellum. A distinctive character of this genus is the shape of the frontal scale (the large scale in the center of the upper surface of the head) which is bell-shaped and elongated. At the rear of the body the dorsal scales are arranged in only 13 rows.[3]
Species
- Clarion Island Whip Snake, Masticophis anthonyi (Stejneger, 1901)
- Baja California Striped Whip Snake, Masticophis aurigulus
- Masticophis aurigulus aurigulus (Cope, 1861)
- Masticophis aurigulus barbouri (Van Denburgh & Slevin, 1921)
- Sonoran Whip Snake, Masticophis bilineatus
- Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum
- Sonoran Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum cingulum Lowe & Woodin, 1954
- Eastern Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum flagellum (Shaw, 1802)
- Baja California Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum fuliginosus (Cope, 1895)
- Lined Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum lineatulus H.M. Smith, 1941
- Red Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum piceus (Cope, 1892)
- San Joaquin Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum ruddocki Brattstrom & Warren, 1953
- Western Coachwhip, Masticophis flagellum testaceus (Say, 1823)
- California Whipsnake, Masticophis lateralis
- Alameda Striped Racer, Masticophis lateralis euryxanthus Riemer, 1954
- California Striped Racer, Masticophis lateralis lateralis (Hallowell, 1853)
- Ajo Mountain Whip Snake, Masticophis lineolatus (Hensley, 1950)
- Neotropical Whip Snake, Masticophis mentovarius
- Masticophis mentovarius centralis (Roze, 1953)
- Masticophis mentovarius mentovarius (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854)
- Masticophis mentovarius suborbitalis (W. Peters, 1868)
- Masticophis mentovarius striolatus (Mertens, 1934)
- Masticophis mentovarius variolosus H.M. Smith, 1943
- Schott's Whip Snake, Masticophis schotti
- Striped Whipsnake, Masticophis taeniatus
- Masticophis taeniatus australis H.M. Smith, 1941
- Central Texas Whip Snake, Masticophis taeniatus girardi (Stejneger & Barbour, 1917)
- Ornate Whip Snake, Masticophis taeniatus ornatus Baird & Girard, 1853
- Desert Striped Whip Snake, Masticophis taeniatus taeniatus (Hallowell, 1852)
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Masticophis. |
- ↑ Wright, A.H., & A.A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada. Comstock. Ithaca & London. 1,105 pp. (in 2 volumes) (Genus Masticophis, pp. 423-425.)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Conant, R. 1975. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 429 pp. ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Genus Masticophis, pp. 177-178.)
- ↑ Smith, H.M., and E.D. Brodie, Jr. 1982. Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. Golden Press. New York. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3 (paperback). (Genus Masticophis, pp. 190-1903.)
- Genus Masticophis at The Reptile Database